Deccan Herald 11.02.2014
Get ready to pay SWM cess in M’lore
Amidst
opposition over levying solid waste management (SWM) cess on general
public to generate revenue for implementing the three package SWM
project in the city, District-in-Charge Minister B Ramanath Rai put the
ball to the MCC Administrator’s court, directing him to take a call on
the matter after consulting with local MLAs.
The issue
came to the fore at the review meeting of development works in MCC
limits, chaired by the District-in-Charge Minister at MCC hall on
Monday. MCC Commissioner Ajith Kumar Hegde revealed that the previous
deputy commissioner who was also the administrator of the Corporation
had approved the proposal on levying SWM cess on July 24, 2013 and it is
now upto MCC to implement the cess. “We have received audit objection
for not implementing the cess, while all other city corporations in the
State have implemented it,” he said.
cause an additional burden on the people. Corporator Mahabal Marla said
that people will have to shell out minimum Rs 500 per annum as SWM cess
apart from the property tax that they are paying. MLA J R Lobo batted
for SWM cess as he said the cess collection was necessary to maintain
the city clean and free from litter.
“Though people expect the
city to be clean, they are not ready to pay tax for the maintenance,
which is not logical. Cess has to be introduced, perhaps, with revised
rates,” he said. Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator A B Ibrahim
too expressed his willingness to cut down the cess rate. Imposing Rs 500
cess per year, might be a burden for people residing in small houses.
As per the approved cess, tax levied for residential buildings upto
1,000 sq ft is Rs 40 per month. This rate could be revised to Rs 20 per
month, while the price fixed for houses above 1,000 sq ft and commercial
buildings could remain intact,” the DC said.
Tender issues
The
meeting witnessed heated exchange of words between the DC and
corporators over the issue of allotting tenders in MCC limits without
administrative approval. When the corporators blamed it on the
contractors for an inordinate delay in implementing development works,
the DC said that the impending disorder was due to allotting tenders
without receiving the administrative approval. The district-in-charge
minister too held the administrator responsible for the situation.
An
angered DC, took it as an insult meted out at him, for the error
committed by his predecessors. “All the tenders were allotted before I
took charge,” he clarified. Minister Ramanath Rai directed the DC to
ensure that all pending works to be completed at the earliest. “All
works should be completed on time, failing which officers will be sent
home,” he warned. Lobo said that those contractors who failed to take up
the work should be blacklisted.
Rai refused to comment on the
proposal of Greater Mangalore and the proposal to revise the self
assessment scheme. He suggested to take a decision after the council
comes into existence. He also instructed the deputy commissioner to act
upon the proposal of constructing a service bus stand at Pumpwell,
without further delay. The DC said a full-fledged bus stand could be set
up in the available seven acre land, using modern technologies than
waiting to acquire additional land.