the goan I network
MARGAO
In a bid to achieve the twin objectives of waste segregation at source and to make the entire exercise self-sustaining, the Margao Municipal Council on Friday issued a public notice warning the citizenry that they clear the house and sanitation tax dues immediately or their waste will not be lifted by the municipal workers.
The moot question, however, remains unanswered. How will the civic body go about in respect of the thousands of houses and establishments which do not reflect on the municipal tax books?
MMC Chief Officer Sidhivinayak Naik told the media that the civic body has issued strict directions to the door-to-door garbage collection workers, supervisors and authorized staff to insist for current house tax and annual sanitation fee payment receipts, failing which the garbage will
not be collected from the households.
While requesting the citizens to take note of the public notice and cooperate with the council, the Chief Officer said the garbage collection workers will stop collecting waste from the tax defaulters after a week’s time. “The Council will give the citizens one week’s time to clear the house tax and sanitation tax dues. The waste collectors will not collect the waste from the households after the deadline if they do not produce the house tax and sanitation tax receipts,” he warned.
The action comes following reports that despite repeated directions from the civic body, some of the houses, tenements, business establishments have not yet paid the annual dues of house tax along with the annual sanitation fee.
“The principal bench of the National Green Tribunal has issued directions with respect to compliance with the solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. The rules mandate the civic body to ensure cent per cent collection of segregated waste. Waste segregation at source is the responsibility of the generator and it allows for efficient treatment of solid waste,” Naik said.
Incidentally, while the public notice aims at targeting the loyal taxpayers, it’s still unclear how the civic body will go about with the thousands of illegal structures dotting the commercial capital, including the slums and shanties, which are not registered on the municipal tax books.
Reacting strongly, the Shadow Council for Margao termed the public notice as an eyewash. Convener Savio Coutinho questioned the council about the waste generated by the unassessed premises in Margao. “There are thousands of unassessed premises in the slums of Margao, government quarters and MMC-owned commercial premises in the markets. These premises are neither paying house tax nor sanitation fees. And ever since the sanitation fees have been introduced, Shadow Council has been highlighting this matter, as only the legally assessed premises, whether operating or locked, are liable to pay sanitation fees, whereas the unassessed premises have been enjoying free
waste collection services,”
he added.
