00:00 The Bruhad Bengaluru Mahanagar Palikey, also known as BBMP, is contemplating the imposition
00:07 of a monthly service fee for garbage collection and disposal, with a minimum charge of Rs
00:12 30 per month.
00:13 The civic body's proposal is based on the number of electricity units consumed per month,
00:18 aiming to include approximately 46 lakh households and over 6.3 lakh commercial establishments.
00:24 If approved, the fee structure is anticipated to generate Rs 72.39 crore monthly for the
00:30 BBMP.
00:31 The BBMP justifies its fee structure by asserting that assessing waste volume through electricity
00:38 consumption is more fitting than relying on property tax.
00:41 The proposed plan categorises domestic users into six labs, with fees ranging from Rs 30
00:46 to Rs 500, while commercial establishments may face charges varying from Rs 75 to Rs
00:52 1,200 per month.
00:54 To facilitate fee collection, the BBMP plans to collaborate with BESCOM, offering a service
00:58 fee to the electricity board.
01:00 Drawing parallels with cities like New Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Thane and Tirupati,
01:06 where user fees for fee collection already exist, the BBMP seems legitimacy for its proposal.
01:12 The civic body cites a recent High Court order that does not prohibit the collection of user
01:17 fees, as it is already acknowledged in the Solid Waste Management Rules of 2016.
01:22 Deputy Chief Minister D.K.
01:23 Shivkumar, overseeing the Bengaluru development portfolio, is expected to make the final decision
01:28 on the proposed user fee.
01:30 While the BBMP emphasises the necessity for charging fee for substantial waste management,
01:34 Solid Waste Management expert Pinky Chandran raises concern about the current inefficiencies
01:39 in waste management.
01:41 Chandran emphasises the lack of uniformity in waste segregation practices, contributing
01:45 to the reappearance of garbage black spots.
01:48 She advocates for a more comprehensive approach to waste management, including the enforcement
01:52 of waste segregation, at the source.
02:01 [MUSIC PLAYING]
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