Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 25

Even as the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation today told residents to pay waste collection charges only to civic body’s two-bin garbage vehicle drivers, there are certain areas in the city where the waste is collected by private operators through rehris.

The MC in its notice told the residents that it would be their responsibility to pay to its staff as charges paid to the private collectors would not be adjusted. Thus, all should pay to the MC staff through POS machines, read the notice.

However, some residents wondered how they could deny paying money to the collectors coming on rehris when the MC vehicles were not visiting their localities to collect the waste.

Hitesh Puri, chairman, Chandigarh Residents Association Welfare Federation, said, “In some Sectors, like Sector 21, 43 and parts of 22, collectors are coming on rehris and not vehicles. How is it possible not to pay those who are coming to our place? I think this system is mismanaged.”

KS Gill, president, RWA, Sector 21-B, said, “The old collectors are not letting the MC vehicles operate in our area. Since the vehicles are not coming how can we pay them? If the MC wants to implement the system it must ensure deployment of policemen along with its vehicles for a few days. The vehicle system is good but it needs to be managed well.”

“People these days do not prefer someone coming to their house. The MC should give option to pay the charges online through e-Sampark centres. Secondly, the POS machine through which the MC is collecting the money, does not accept cash. Many old citizens, who are not friendly with the credit or debit card payments, are facing problem,” said Vinod Vashisht, convener, City Forum of Residents’ Welfare Organisations.

Additional Commissioner Saurabh Arora told Chandigarh Tribune there was an issue in some areas where private waste collectors were taking the monthly garbage collection charges from residents.

“We have informed the people not to do that. Other small issues in few areas related to collection are being worked out,” said Arora.

As per the MC plan, in about two months or so, the garbage collection charges will be taken along with water bills.