PANAJI
The Quepem Municipal Council has incurred a loss of over Rs 13 lakh due to non-recovery of garbage fees, even as the Council is incurring a huge expenditure on workers’ wages and maintenance of vehicles.
According to the audit inspection report of Quepem Municipal Council for the period from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2015, the loss due to non-collection of garbage fees from September 2014 to March 2015 amounted to Rs 13.41 lakh.
The Council has incurred a loss of Rs 12,64,368, that includes Rs 30,800 from 22 hotels, Rs 9,800 from two lodges, Rs 2,756 from 13 offices, Rs 7,000 from 10 street hawkers and kiosks, Rs 19,080 from 8 chicken and one mutton shops, Rs 7,632 from 18 fish vendors and non-payment of fees from 5,964 households within the jurisdiction of the Council.
To segregate the garbage at source, the Council had provided black and green dustbins for wet and dry waste separately. It had also made necessary arrangements for door to door garbage collection. Thereafter, the Council meeting on August 26, 2014 had resolved to collect fees for garbage collection from all households, shops, hotels and offices.
The audit also revealed that the decision to collect garbage fees was even implemented till May 2015. The Council has replied to the audit that the garbage fees would be included in the yearly house tax after taking a council resolution.
For collection of garbage, the Council charges Rs 1 per day for households, Rs 200 per month from hotels, Rs 700 per month from lodges, Rs 1 per day from offices, Rs 100 per month from street hawkers and kiosks, Rs 10 per day from chicken and mutton shops and Rs 2 per day from fish vendors.
