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Panchkula MC waives garbage fee for 2023-24
The proposed budget includes a revenue surplus of ₹4 crore, with an estimated expenditure of ₹251 crore against a total income of ₹255 crore; it will be sent to the Haryana urban local bodies department for final approval
shailee.dogra@htlive.com
Passes ₹255-crore budget for financial year 2024-25, of which ₹129.77 crore will be spent on development works
In some respite for city residents, the Panchkula municipal corporation decided to waive garbage collection charges for residential areas during the budget meeting held on Thursday.
The meeting also saw the MC House passing a ₹255-crore budget for financial year 2024-25, with a major chunk — ₹129.77 crore — being set aside for development works.
The proposed budget includes a revenue surplus of ₹4 crore, with an estimated expenditure of ₹251 crore against a total income of ₹255 crore. It will be sent to the Haryana urban local bodies department for final approval. Last year, MC had passed a ₹242-crore budget.
“We have decided to waive the garbage collection charges for FY 2023-2024. The waiver is only for residential areas and not for commercial properties. Any fee paid already will be adjusted,” said mayor Kulbhushan Goyal.
During the meeting, JJP councillor Sushil Garg, who represents Ward Number 14, highlighted, “We are collecting charges from housing societies even when garbage is not being lifted from doorsteps. There are 150 housing societies in my ward alone and there is no door-to-door lifting of garbage.”
From April 2023, MC had started collecting user solid waste management (SWM) charges from all residential, commercial and institutional units under its ambit. As of February 20, 2024, the civic body has collected ₹55.84 lakh.
The monthly user fee for residential areas was ₹50 for units up to 50 square metre in area, ₹100 for sites sized 50 square metre to 200 square metre, ₹200 for 200 square metre to 500 square metre, ₹250 for 500 square metre to 1,000 square metre and ₹350 for above 1,000 square metre.
During the meeting, MC also decided that the civic body will pay for uniforms of safai mitras working for two years and also made a provision for scholarship for their children who score above 80%. Taking note of low recovery from mobile towers and mobile lines, MC decided that within a week, notices will also be issued to violators.
JJP councillors accuse BJP mayor of neglect
In a major embarrassment to the ruling BJP-JJP combine, the budget meeting took a bitter turn, with alliance partner JJP accusing the BJP mayor of deliberate neglect through a high-pitched exchange of words.
As soon as the House assembled for the budget meeting at PWD guest house in Sector 1, Panchkula, JJP councillor Rajesh Kumar from Ward Number 9 sat on the floor in protest. “Do you consider me a councillor? Of which ward am I the councillor?” Kumar snapped at mayor Kulbhushan Goyal repeatedly.
He was joined by another JJP councillor Sushil Garg, who said, “We are alliance partner, but you don’t give us respect.”
In response, Salim Dabkori, Ward Number 20 councillor from Opposition Congress, remarked that Opposition councillors were being ignored for three years. But why were councillors from even ruling alliance demonstrating against neglect?
“We are not consulted while finalising agendas. There are no replies to letters and even officers pay no heed,” alleged Dabkori.
The mayor repeatedly asked Kumar to return to his chair, but adamant on getting reply to his questions, the councillor refused to budge. He later walked out of the House after the mayor said he cannot speak in the House without his permission. “Let the agenda be discussed and after that you will be allowed to speak,” said the mayor.
In the 23-member Panchkula MC House, the BJP enjoys the majority with 10 councillors, while two councillors are from the JJP. The Congress has seven councillors, one councillor is independent, while three are nominated.
‘BJP discriminating against JJP’
Addressing a press conference later, JJP district president Dilbag Nain said, “The JJP is getting respect at the government level, but it is being discriminated against at the MC and panchayat level. The BJP hops on to take credit without giving basic respect to its alliance partners. We will take up the matter with the high command.”
“A councillor wanted to air his grievance but he was not allowed to speak,” said JJP leader OP Sihag. He added, “Nothing is being done on the ground. Even basic sanitation is lacking. There is no segregation of garbage. Mayor should resign if he cannot get these small things done.”
