BBMP to levy garbage cess based on dimension of property

BENGLURU: Metro fares, milk prices and electricity tariffs have gone up. Now, Bengaluru residents will face another price hike. From April 1, a cess will be levied on garbage collection.

The Congress government is imposing a cess on waste collection. Residents will have to pay the cess for waste collection from their homes. The Solid Waste Management Ltd will collect the cess based on the dimension of the properties.

The garbage cess for bulk generators like commercial shops and hotels differs from that for residential buildings. Earlier, hotels had Rs 5 per kg of garbage, but now it has been increased to Rs 12 per kg. For residential buildings, garbage cess will be levied on a square foot basis. The BBMP will collect garbage cess annually along with property tax and the cess will be implemented from tomorrow itself.

The cess for residential buildings will vary as per dimesion. For buildings up to 600 square feet, the monthly cess will be Rs 10, for buildings between 600-1,000 square feet, the monthly cess will be Rs 50.

For larger buildings, the monthly cess will be higher. Buildings between 1,000-2,000 square feet will be taxed Rs 100 per month, while those between 2,000-3,000 square feet will be taxed Rs 150 per month. Buildings between 3,000 and 4,000 square feet will be taxed Rs 200 per month, while those above 4,000 square feet will be taxed Rs 400 per month.

The Congress government has planned to impose cess on waste collection from households. This move is expected to generate Rs 600 crore in annual revenue for the Solid Waste Management Ltd.