Activists in Odisha warn satyagraha over user fee

PURI: Protesting the recently announced user fee for door-step garbage collection in Puri municipality, a delegation of social activists from 21 city-based organisations staged a protest in front of the Collector’s office here on Monday. Led by president of Puri Bikash Parishad Jagannath Bastia, the delegation announced a satyagraha if the proposal is not scrapped. 

The civic body had announced that user fee will be collected from residents for garbage collection from households. It will be enforced from November 10 onwards. Bastia said, user fee serves no purpose as residents are already paying holding tax at enhanced rates to the municipality for sanitation, solid waste management and other basic amenities. 

Terming the move as unconstitutional, the delegation submitted a list of demands to Collector Samarth Verma, and agreed to postpone the satyagraha after he assured to look into the matter and discuss with the civic body authorities.