Scam behind pact to employ garbage vehicles: APUCF

Vijayawada (NTR District): Andhra Pradesh Urban Citizens Federation (APUCF) described the Jagananna Swatcha Sankalpam as 'Jagananna Chetta Sankalpam' and alleged that the government was virtually cleaning the pockets of the citizens in the name of Clean AP scheme.

Addressing the media at Balotsav Bhavan here on Friday, APUCF convener Ch Babu Rao took strong exception to the collection of garbage tax, thus burdening people with Rs 500 crore. In the guise of Swatch Bharat, the Central government had been entrusting the sanitation work to corporate houses. Due to the pressure from the Central government, the State government is burdening people, he criticised.

Babu Rao alleged that the State government signed an agreement to employ garbage vehicles without informing the elected people's representatives of the municipality and municipal corporations. He suspected a huge scam behind the agreement due to which the local bodies have to pay Rs 63,000 to each of the garbage vehicles. There is no transparency in the agreement which intends to pay Rs 600 crore per annum to the corporate houses, he noted.

Babu Rao said when the garbage tax was included in the property tax, how could they collect the garbage tax. "It is unconstitutional and has no legal sanction."

Babu Rao said that it is the responsibility of the local bodies and the government to maintain sanitation and public health. He questioned the propriety of collecting the tax without seeking public opinion. He recalled that already several petitions were filed in High Court against garbage tax and it was against the principles of natural justice to collect tax when the judiciary is yet to decide the issue. 'At a time people were afflicted with viral fever, dengue, malaria and others, the municipal commissioners were interested only to collect garbage tax.

It is highly atrocious that the municipal staff dumped garbage on the premises of an apartment in Vizianagaram and even attacking secretary of the apartment Ravi Kumar,' he stated.

He demanded an explanation from the Municipal Minister on the issue and the Minister owes an apology to people. The volunteers were threatening the self-help groups and collecting garbage tax, which is highly objectionable. Demanding the government to collect public opinion on garbage tax, Babu Rao sought immediate withdrawal of the garbage tax.

He exhorted the civil society to protest against garbage tax to launch an agitation by not paying the same. It has been planned to collect garbage tax from 43 lakh families in the 123 municipalities and municipal corporations across the State. The garbage tax collection had already started in 33 towns collecting Rs 56.38 crore for the last nine months. A target had been set to collect Rs 158 crore in these 33 towns.

It has been decided to collect Rs 500 crore from all the municipal bodies across the State. At present, 2,134 garbage vehicles are being plied paying Rs 164 crore per annum for them. The agreement had been arrived with Pune-based Swayambhu Transport company, which is paid every month from the tax collected from people.

Garbage tax of Rs 60 to Rs 120 is being collected from the house owners and even from the tenants every month and from Rs 150 to Rs 15,000 is being collected from small traders to large traders. Plans are afoot to extend it to the rural areas in future, he said.