Shiv Sena (UBT) opposes garbage collection fees, will launch mass movement

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday declared that his party would oppose the BMC’s proposed garbage collection fee and would launch a campaign against it by involving citizens. “For the first time in history, people will be charged for garbage collection,” he said. “The government has spent a lot of money on contractors, and the BMC is going to spend another ₹3,000 crore on cleaning the dumping ground land for the Adani Group at the taxpayers’ expense. This is why the garbage collection charge is being levied on residents of Mumbai. But we will oppose it.”

The BMC on Monday proposed a user fee for the daily collection of solid waste from individual flats, for which residents will be charged a monthly fee in the range of ₹100 to ₹1,000. This charge will also be collected from commercial establishments, guesthouses, restaurants, clinics, laboratories, offices, small and cottage industry workshops, cold storage units, marriage halls, festival halls, exhibitions and fair areas.

Aaditya said that it was the duty of the BMC to give this service to tax payers without levying any fee. He added that his party workers would go door to door to create awareness in people against the garbage collection charges and would ensure that they submitted objections to the proposal before May 31. In a snide reference to the government’s populist Ladki Bahin scheme, he said that the garbage fee was being sought since the Mahayuti’s ‘ladka contractors’ (favourite contractors) had been paid crores of rupees in the name of civic projects and the BMC wanted to recover this money from Mumbai residents.

“Cleaning the dumping ground for Adani will cost approximately ₹3,000 crore,” he said. “While our government completely removed the property tax on homes up to 500 sq ft, the BJP government is now burdening such homes, small businesses, shops and establishments with this user fee. We will oppose this and launch a public movement against this unjust tax.” Aaditya also demanded that the BMC should first collect the ₹7,500 crore premium, which had waived by the government, for the Adani-led Dharavi redevelopment project.

When contacted, a senior BMC officer said he was not going to comment, as the civic body had invited suggestions and objections. “Let Aaditya Thackeray give his suggestions and objections to the BMC if he wants,” he said.