Chennai: Greater Chennai Corporation today decided to roll back the user fee for garbage collection that it intended to implement from 1 January next year.
It said the decision to withdraw the move was taken based on the request of representatives from residents and traders associations.
Sources said the announcement was made after Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s instructions directing a rollback.
GCC had on Tuesday evening announced that the user fee, based on the Centre’s Solid Waste Management rules, 2016 would be implemented from 1 January and it would be collected along with property tax.
The civic body said residents, commercial complexes and public events would be charged anywhere between Rs 10-Rs 500 per month for garbage collection. After widespread protests from residents and politicians on Wednesday, GCC announced a rollback. Residents and trade bodies also gave petitions to roll back the charges.
The user fee was fixed based on the size and nature of buildings. For instance, residential buildings with a built up area of up to 500 square feet will have to pay Rs 10, from 501-1200 square feet were to pay Rs 25 and Rs 50 for residences with an area of 1201-2400 square feet.
Bulk generators like commercial establishments and schools would have had to pay Rs 500 a month. The charges were to be paid along with the property tax.
In a statement on Wednesday, DMK president M K Stalin condemned the ‘user fee’ decision and demanded that the government roll it back.
