Municipalities in Ernakulam achieve 72% coverage in user fee collection

Among the 13 municipalities, Eloor leads the table in the collection of user fees from households and commercial establishments, with a coverage of 98%.

The municipalities in Ernakulam have achieved a total of around 72% coverage in the collection of user fees for availing the services of the Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) engaged in waste collection at the doorstep.

Among the 13 municipalities, Eloor leads the table in the collection of user fees from households and commercial establishments, with a coverage of 98%. The user fee collection in other municipalities: Maradu (84%); North Paravur (81%); Aluva (79%); Koothattukulam (77%); Kalamassery (70%); Muvattupuzha (69%); Piravom (69%); Thrikkakara (68%); Angamaly (67%); Perumbavoor (65%); Thripunithura (61%); and Kothamangalam (58%), according to the estimates available with the government’s Haritha Keralam Mission. Kochi Corporation has attained a coverage of about 92% in terms of user collection for the doorstep collection of waste by HKS volunteers.

The collection of user fees remains crucial in the efforts by the local bodies to streamline and improve the waste management process as part of the government’s ‘Waste-free Kerala’ project. Though there has been an uptick in the collection of user fees compared to the figures available as of June 2023 (a total of about 52%), the municipalities have been told to scale up the collection process. The civic bodies have informed the Department of Local Self-Government that many households are reluctant to provide the monthly minimum user fee of ₹50 in grama panchayats and ₹70 in municipalities, respectively. The gaps will hamper the timely distribution of salaries to the Haritha Karma Sena members.

The government has instructed the secretaries of civic bodies to collect the arrears while the defaulters visit the offices for payment of annual building/land tax. It has also been made a precondition for the allocation of benefits under grama sabhas and the distribution of loans through Kudumbashree Neighbourhood Groups.

Published - November 15, 2024 08:30 pm IST