Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s move to collect an annual ‘user fee’ for waste generation by residents triggered sharp criticism from citizen groups, especially after the civic body publicly urged residents to pay the fee to boost its Swachh Survekshan ranking.The fee that is separate from its holding tax is being collected from low and middle-income households to major commercial establishments for 2025–26 at one go. Residents said instead of collecting the user fee on a per annum basis, it should be made flexible, such as monthly, quarterly, or 6-monthly.Krupasindhu Sahu, founder-president of the Federation of Senior Citizen, Odisha, said it is taxing for many people, including the middle class and job holders, to pay a one-time user fee to BMC, which is claiming that robust collection would fetch it a good score in the Swachh survey. “It is ridiculous and distressing that we are asked to cough up annual user fee for financial year 2025–26 at a time for better performance in Swachh survey,” Sahu told TOI.BMC’s user fee rate chart revealed that a low-income group with an 800 sq ft built-up area needs to pay Rs 50 towards the user fee per month, while a middle-income group with 1,200 sq ft should pay Rs 75. Guesthouses and hotels with 10 rooms are asked to pay Rs 500, and those with between 20 and 30 rooms are asked to pay Rs 1,000 per month. Residential schools and colleges are asked to pay Rs 3,000 per month.The second paragraph of BMC’s public notice in Odia read, “By paying user fee, solid waste under BMC jurisdiction can be streamlined and it can help fetch notable score in the ongoing Swachh Survekshan”.Dilip Dash Sharma, executive member of the Confederation of Citizen Association, Bhubaneswar, said in 2016 they moved the Orissa high court, which stayed the collection of the user fee in March 2017. “Till 2024, BMC was not collecting user fee because of the stay. Now, it is aggressively collecting the fee. We will move HC again against this move. We completely oppose collection of user fee from residential household,” he told TOI.Kailash Chandra Dash, BMC additional commissioner, said commercial establishments are being asked to pay an annual fee, but in the case of others it can be quarterly. “Following up monthly collection is a bit difficult,” he said.
