MUMBAI: The ‘water & sewerage charge’ that you pay to the civic body as part of your property tax will have a revised nomenclature. From April, it will be shown as ‘garbage, sewage & water fees’. This will, however, not increase your property tax amount, civic officials said.
What has spurred the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, or BMC, to revise the title of the accounting head is that it is aspiring for a ‘star’ rating in a national cleanliness contest for civic bodies—the ‘Swachh Survekshan’ contest. Last year, the BMC missed a chance to secure the ‘star’ rating. as charges for solid waste operations and expenditure on the same had to be maintained under a separate accounting head to bag a ‘3-star’ rating. This time, BMC does not want to miss the bus.
Collection of ‘user charge’ is considered an important criterion’ for the star ranking, according to rules laid down by the contest. Announcing this in the budget, civic chief Praveen Pardeshi had said, “...Henceforth, water taxes and sewerage taxes will be changed to garbage, sewage and water fees.”
Though BMC does not plan to levy extra charges, this may well be the thin end of the wedge to facilitate levying of garbage collection fees in future. Activist G R Vora said, “While the authorities say they do not intend to increase charges in any way, adding this component could pave the way for hike in fees,” said Vora.
Last year, BMC had set a target of Rs 1,459.13 crore for water-sewage charges. However, until December, it collected only Rs 911crore. It revised its budget estimate for 2019-20 to Rs 1,400.81 crore. For the coming year, under the new accounting head, ‘garbage, sewage and water fees’, the BMC hopes to rake in Rs 1,535 crore.
What has spurred the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, or BMC, to revise the title of the accounting head is that it is aspiring for a ‘star’ rating in a national cleanliness contest for civic bodies—the ‘Swachh Survekshan’ contest. Last year, the BMC missed a chance to secure the ‘star’ rating. as charges for solid waste operations and expenditure on the same had to be maintained under a separate accounting head to bag a ‘3-star’ rating. This time, BMC does not want to miss the bus.
Collection of ‘user charge’ is considered an important criterion’ for the star ranking, according to rules laid down by the contest. Announcing this in the budget, civic chief Praveen Pardeshi had said, “...Henceforth, water taxes and sewerage taxes will be changed to garbage, sewage and water fees.”
Though BMC does not plan to levy extra charges, this may well be the thin end of the wedge to facilitate levying of garbage collection fees in future. Activist G R Vora said, “While the authorities say they do not intend to increase charges in any way, adding this component could pave the way for hike in fees,” said Vora.
Last year, BMC had set a target of Rs 1,459.13 crore for water-sewage charges. However, until December, it collected only Rs 911crore. It revised its budget estimate for 2019-20 to Rs 1,400.81 crore. For the coming year, under the new accounting head, ‘garbage, sewage and water fees’, the BMC hopes to rake in Rs 1,535 crore.
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