The Times of India   04.09.2010

SWM cess could take some time

BANGALORE: Though the BBMP is quite enthusiastic about imposing the SWM cess on citizens, there could be some hurdles. According to former mayor P R Ramesh, "The cess cannot be collected even now, despite the legal sanction. For this provision to be implemented, there are some pending formalities. All this cannot be completed within the next six months. There's a clear-cut process to implement these user charges and it cannot be implemented in the middle of a financial year. Whatever they want to collect must be in the public domain."

BUDGET BLUNDER?

It's not just the Rs 150 crore revenue estimate from this SWM user charge in the budget that hits the eye. There's a bigger surprise: the book of budget estimates for 2010-11 lists a Rs 40-crore budget estimate (2009-10) and Rs 1.52 lakh as revised estimate (2009-10) under the same category. The user charge can come into effect only from the day it is implemented, and this is possible only when the council passes a resolution.

Almost all old-time BBMP officials, veteran corporators and former mayors contacted confirmed that this user charge has not been collected ever since it was included in the KMC Act in 2002-03, as the council has to pass it.