a day ago
Panchkula residents protest double garbage collection charges
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Panchkula: Residents of various housing societies are expressing frustration over being compelled to pay double for garbage collection services. Despite hiring private door-to-door waste collectors, they are still being billed by the municipal corporation (MC) for the same service.
Previously, following a dispute, the MC had waived these charges for two years.
However, this year, residents were surprised to receive garbage collection bills again, even though they continue to pay their private collectors. Col Avinash Sharma, a resident of Sun City Parikarma in Sector 20, which houses 1,113 flats, voiced his concern, stating that the MC's system is designed for streets and independent houses, not for societies.
He said residents are forced to pay both private collectors and the MC, as the latter's no-objection certificate (NOC) is essential for various administrative tasks in tehsils.
Krishan Jindal, president of the RWA of another society in Sector 20, echoed similar sentiments. He pointed out that despite receiving no waste collection service from the civic body, residents are still being charged. He called the charges unjust and demanded that the MC either exempt societies from these fees or deploy its own waste collectors to serve them.
Adding to the residents' grievances is the issue of some MC-hired waste collectors allegedly collecting monthly fee from residents, even though they are salaried employees of the corporation.
While the MC claimed in a recent house meeting that such payments are made voluntarily, many residents disagree. One resident from the sector said their collector charges Rs 100 monthly, despite the fact that they already pay annual garbage collection fees to the MC.
This has led to calls for a uniform and transparent policy to be implemented across the city.
Another unresolved issue is the lack of refunds for residents who paid garbage collection charges during the waiver period. The MC has stated that it has written to the department of urban local bodies regarding the matter but has yet to receive a response.
Mayor Kulbhushan Goyal clarified the MC's position, stating that there is no provision for waste collection from inside housing societies. According to him, the waste collection vehicles are designated to operate on roads and streets. He also explained that the charges collected by the MC are not solely for collection but also cover transportation and garbage processing.
