Hyderabad: Private garbage collectors fleecing SCB residents

Secunderabad: The residents of Secunderabad Cantonment Board(SCB) have raised alarm over the way private garbage collectors are fleecing them. Till recently, the collectors used to charge Rs 60 per month for picking up garbage.

Now, they are forcing locals to pay up to Rs 200 per month.The exorbitant charges by the garbage collectors have raised many eyebrows. The workers aren't even sparing those residing in slums.Some of the residents have also registered complaint on e-Chhawani portal, an online portal that brings various services for the residents of the Cantonment area. But, all their efforts remained vein as no action was taking so far.

"It's not the question of Rs 50 or Rs 100 excess amount that is demanded, but it's all about openly looting the public, who do not even know how much is supposed to be paid. I have many times complained to SCB sanitation officer and also submitted a written representation in e chhawani portal.But no action has been taken. SCB has not published or educated the public on the maximum amount that is to be paid to garbage collectors. I doubt that sanitation officials are hand in glove with these garbage collectors, else why action is not taken against the private agency," wonders Venkat Ramana, a resident.

Ravi Kumar (name changed), another resident said, "The sanitation workers here are charging Rs 150 to Rs 200 to pick up garbage. When refused, they browbeat us saying they won't take the garbage.SCB does not have proper transit points and there's only a single dump yard near Mahatma Gandhi Community Hall inTrimulgherry. Hence, the garbage collectors are taking advantage."

"Apart from this, the garbage is not properly segregated, and we have many times seen the garbage collectors burning the garbage at open plots. We are vexed up of complaining to SCB officials regarding charging extra amount and also the garbage burning issue." said B Kumar (name changed), another resident.

On the other hand, the SCB authorities have tried to distance themselves from the development citing direct involvement of private agencies. "Most of the colonies have a door-to-door mechanism wherein residents pay the people who collect the garbage. We do not have any cantonment staff doing the job as of now. We have deployed private people, who are outsourced from different agencies. Garbage collectors decide and collect the amount on their own wherein SCB has no role to play," said, a senior officer of SCB on the condition of anonymity.