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Residential housing associations have again come forward to oppose the solid waste management user fee charged by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). The Civil Administration, for its part, remains firm in its decision to impose fees.
PCMC has started charging a user fee of Rs 60 per flat for the collection and disposal of waste generated by residential communities, retroactively from 1 July 2019.
In a meeting with PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh on Saturday, representatives of cooperative housing societies urged him to eliminate user fees, reminding that solid waste management is the responsibility of PCMC. The representatives told the commissioner: “When the PCMC collects all kinds of taxes from the citizens, there is a necessity to place an additional burden on the citizens.”
Sanjeevan Sajle, Head of Housing Association Moshi Sheikhly, said, “Only two of the 27 municipal corporations in Maharashtra have charged user fees. If so many other municipal corporations refuse to implement it, why is PCMC harassing their residents?”
Sagle said, “PCMC didn’t bother to consult the housing communities and check if they were okay with user fees. They made the decision unilaterally. We want to eliminate user fees.”
“All societies see that when the PCMC already collects so many taxes from the citizens, why put an additional burden on the citizens in the name of user fees? As a civic body, it is the responsibility of the PCMC to collect and manage the garbage. It cannot continue to charge for every job it does.” Then why are different taxes collected from the citizens? Are they not collected to ensure civil services,” he sought to find out.
Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge said, “I am in favor of asking housing associations to abolish user fees. First, the officials delayed the implementation of user fees. Now the PCMC is forcing citizens to pay fees for four years.”
Extending his support for the housing associations, Landage added, “PCMC’s move to collect user fees from citizens is an injustice. Like the penalty tax (on illegal construction) being repealed, I have urged the state government to also repeal user fees.”
Sagle said the PCMC president has promised to look into their demands. “If possible, the administration may cancel the user fee for a period of four years,” said Housing Federation President Moshe Sheikhly.
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