Withdraw the Wet Waste Policy for Housing Societies and the Amenity Tax!
- Demand by BJP Corporator Sachin Tapkir - Memorandum submitted to Municipal Commissioner Dr. Vijay Suryawanshi
Pimpri-Chinchwad | Correspondent
BJP Corporator Sachin (Bhau) Tapkir has submitted a memorandum to Municipal Commissioner Dr. Vijay Suryawanshi, arguing that the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s decision to mandate wet waste management for housing societies and impose a new ‘Amenity Tax’ will place a significant financial and administrative burden on citizens.
The memorandum states that most housing societies in the city lack the necessary space, technical expertise, and financial capacity to set up waste processing plants. Under these circumstances, mandating the installation of such plants within a short timeframe is not feasible. It has been demanded that instead of shifting the entire responsibility for city waste management onto citizens, the Municipal Corporation should fulfill its own obligations and provide the necessary facilities.
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Furthermore, the memorandum notes that since housing societies are already paying property tax, water tax, and solid waste tax, imposing additional costs for setting up and maintaining waste processing plants amounts to a double financial burden on citizens. It urges the authorities to adopt a practical policy through consultations with citizens, society federations, experts, and public representatives, rather than taking a punitive approach during implementation.
Sachin Tapkir also stated that the decision to levy the new ‘Amenity Tax’ would impose an additional annual financial burden of lakhs of rupees on many societies, leading to strong resentment among the citizens.
Against this backdrop, he has urged Commissioner Dr. Vijay Suryawanshi to immediately suspend the decisions regarding mandatory wet waste management and the ‘Amenity Tax,’ and instead formulate a practical policy that serves the public interest after consulting all relevant stakeholders. Corporator Sachin Tapkir has submitted a formal request urging the administration to adopt a cooperative approach rather than a punitive one. He has demanded that housing societies managing their own waste be granted tax concessions, financial assistance, technical guidance, and necessary subsidies.
“We will not tolerate any decision that imposes an unjust financial burden on the residents of Pimpri-Chinchwad. Citizens are already paying property tax, water tax, and solid waste tax. Under these circumstances, mandating wet waste management and imposing an ‘Amenity Tax’ is inappropriate. Instead of burdening citizens with additional taxes in the name of development, the Municipal Corporation should focus on providing essential amenities. Prioritizing the interests of the citizens, the administration should adopt a cooperative stance rather than a punitive one. Decisions should be practical and in the public interest, arrived at only after consulting all stakeholders. We will always stand firm in support of the rights of housing societies and citizens.”
– Sachin Tapkir, Corporator, BJP
