SWM cess on property tax to go up

BENGALURU: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is planning to increase the solid waste management (SWM)cess collected in the property tax by 15%. BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad told reporters that the plan will be discussed in the council before being submitted to the state government.
The BBMP earns Rs 54 crore as solid waste management cess, but spends Rs 520 crore on managing solid waste. The remaining amount is borne by the state government.

Randeep D, Special Commissioner, Finance and IT, BBMP said that the increased cess will help BBMP. BBMP is also planning to incentivise those who manage their waste in their property tax, up to 50% depending on the quantity and method. If people manage their waste well, they will be benefitted.

According to BBMP records, Rs 200 to 600 is collected as the SWM cess. The amount varies depending upon the size and type of the property. In 2019 - 20, till date, BBMP has collected Rs 1,700 crore as property tax. In 2018- 19, BBMP collected Rs 2,500 crore as property tax against the target of Rs 3,100 crore. This fiscal the target set to collect is Rs 3,500 crore. There are over 16 lakh properties in the city which fall under the property tax ambit.