In a bid to discourage the protestors, avoid littering and maintain sanitation and hygiene at places of public meetings, dharnas, marriage processions, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday decided to levy administrative and sanitation charges henceforth within its jurisdiction.
After a high-level meeting with the Home Department Additional Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy, the BMC decided to levy minimum charge of Rs 500 per day for a protest meeting of 100 to 500 persons and the charge would be Rs 1,000 for more than 500 persons. The amount shall be charged on pro rata basis of Rs 5 per person.
The BMC also decided to levy sanitation and administrative charges for taking out marriage and other processions. The organisers have to deposit Rs 5,000 per day towards sanitation charges with the respective BMC Zone offices.
It was further decided that the competent licensing authorities may incorporate conditions in the permissions and licences being issued by them for not using polythene bags or sheets which violates the Plastic Management Rules, 2016.