If all goes as per plan, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) hopes to start collecting the ₹200 service charge or user fee for door-to-door collection of garbage from households every month. Civic officials expressed interest in using Bescom’s infrastructure to ensure a smooth collection process.
D. Randeep, BBMP’s Special Commissioner (Solid Waste Management), told The Hindu that the civic body is in talks with Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (Bescom). Admitting that the talks were still in the nascent stage, he said the issue had been discussed with Bescom’s senior officials. Recently, a letter detailing the charges had also been sent to Bescom.
“The BBMP does not have the infrastructure such as billing machines to collect service charges from citizens. It will take time to have this in place. Bescom, on the other hand, already has the reach as each house is metered and has an RR (revenue register) number. They also have personnel who issue bills with hand-held billing machines,” he said.
He added that it has been suggested that Bescom’s software be linked with a waste generator mapping app that has been developed by the civic body. Bescom can either add a garbage service charge in the same bill or issue a separate bill. “For the service of issuing bills, after giving us a list of households that have paid and transferring the money collected to BBMP’s account, we will pay service charges to the power utility.
Service charges, however, will not be collected from households that are composting wet waste in situ. “Residents will have to submit a self-declaration form. BBMP officials will inspect the same,” said Mr. Randeep.