Residential housing societies in Pimpri-Chinchwad are once again raising their voices in strong opposition to the user charges for solid waste management imposed by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). However, the civic administration remains firm in its decision to levy the fees.
Starting from July 1, 2019, the PCMC began imposing user charges of Rs 60 per flat to cover the collection and disposal of waste generated by residential societies. In response, representatives from cooperative housing societies met with PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh to urge the scrapping of these user charges, arguing that solid waste management is the responsibility of the PCMC and additional charges are unnecessary.
Sanjeevan Sagle, president of the Moshi-Chikhli Housing Federation, pointed out that out of the 27 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, only two have imposed user charges on citizens. He questioned why the PCMC is burdening its residents when other municipalities are refusing to implement such charges. Sagle emphasized the lack of consultation with residential societies and demanded the immediate removal of the user charges.
Representatives from various housing societies echoed the sentiment, stating that the PCMC already collects multiple taxes from citizens, making additional charges unjustifiable. They emphasized that garbage collection and management fall under the jurisdiction of the civic body, which should not continuously impose charges for its core functions. They questioned the purpose of various taxes already being collected and whether they are not meant to ensure the provision of essential civic services.
Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge expressed his support for the housing societies’ demand to scrap the user charges. He criticized the PCMC for delaying the implementation of the charges and now forcing citizens to pay for a retrospective period of four years. Landge stated that he has urged the state government to intervene and eliminate the user charges, drawing a parallel to the penalty tax on illegal constructions that was recently abolished.
Sanjeevan Sagle mentioned that the PCMC chief has assured them that their demands will be considered. He claimed that the administration might consider scrapping the user charges for the past four years, if feasible, as per the commitment made by the PCMC commissioner.
