Deccan Herald 27.07.2013
‘Segregate garbage or pay fine’
The Assembly on Friday passed an amendment Bill
which seeks to impose a penalty ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 5,000 for not
segregating garbage and urinating and littering in public places in all
city corporations, including the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike
(BBMP).
The Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment)
Bill 2013, piloted by Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake,
was approved in a voice vote. However, members cutting across party
affiliations advised the government not to rush through its
implementation without making proper preparations.
The Bill is
yet to come up for consideration in the legislative council. The
government move to impose fines is based on the Karnataka High Court
direction of 2012. The proposed Bill is aimed at ensuring scientific
disposal of solid waste and maintaining cleanliness in public places.
proposes imprisonment up to three months and a fine up to Rs 1,000 or
both for a person who is convicted for the fifth time.
As per the
Bill, any officer authorised by the corporation commissioner not below
the rank of a group-B officer can impose the fine. Hefty fine has been
proposed for violations by bulk garbage generators, dumping of building
waste irregularly and failure to segregate and hand over garden waste,
inert waste, sanitary, non-biodegradable and biomedical waste to the
local body.
Implementation delayed
Defending the Bill, Sorake said the government would not implement it as certain preparations have to be made.
Enough
publicity would be given about the Bill and people would be educated on
all the provisions. Steps would also be taken to construct adequate
number of toilets and urinals in public places, he added.
The
government is only following the directions of the high court. The
previous BJP government had approved the Bill and introduced it in the
Assembly, but it could not be passed.
The same Bill was placed
before the Assembly now. The provision for imprisonment for repeated
offences was present in the original Bill.
The image of
Bangalore has taken a beating due to its garbage disposal problem. The
bill aims to streamline the system, he added.
He also said that
the government is planning to include all urban local bodies, including
CMC, TMCs and TPs, under the provision in a phased manner.
