Mumbaiites may soon have to pay a fire service fee

You may soon have to pay a fire service fee for the emergency fire services provided by the Mumbai Fire Brigade under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

You may soon have to pay a fire service fee for the emergency fire services provided by the Mumbai Fire Brigade under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The proposal seeking to introduce a fire service fee for residential and commercial buildings in the city is set to be tabled at the civic standing committee on Friday.

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The fee would be charged in addition to the 4% fire tax that citizens are paying as part of the general assessment tax or property tax to the civic body. However, the fire service fee to be levied is provided under the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006, which was passed by the state government sometime ago.

Developers and flat owners would both be hit if this fee, which would be calculated on the basis of the built-up area of a building, is introduced.

Citizens staying in high-rises, however, would be charged the most. The criterion of a height of 24 metres has been set to classify buildings into high-rises and others.

For buildings under 24metres high (approx six storeys), the proposed charges are Rs20 per sq metre while buildings of 24metres and above would be charged Rs30 per sq metre.

The above charges multiplied by the built-up area of a building would have to be paid by the developer when the occupation certificate is handed out and 3% of this amount will be collected annually from the housing society.

Buildings less than 15metres high (four storeys) are exempt from paying the fee.

Fire department officials said the revenue generated from the fee was necessary for the overhaul of the services of the department.