The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has introduced a “garbage cess,” requiring Bengaluru residents to pay a solid waste management fee starting April 1. This comes after recent price hikes in essential commodities like milk and electricity. Under the new system, BBMP will charge a monthly fee based on property size, with rates ranging from Rs 10 for buildings up to 600 square feet to Rs 400 for properties exceeding 4,000 square feet. Hotels, which previously paid Rs 5 per kg for garbage disposal, will now be charged Rs 12. The collected cess will be included in property tax payments, and BBMP expects to generate Rs 600 crore annually through this initiative.
The decision has sparked political criticism, with Karnataka Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA R Ashoka strongly opposing the move. He accused the Congress-led government of exploiting Bengaluru residents under the pretense of waste management. Ashoka questioned whether the cess was being used for political gains, particularly in relation to Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s ambitions. In a social media post, he criticized the government for failing to manage waste effectively while imposing additional financial burdens on citizens, alleging that the funds could be misused for election-related expenditures.
In a separate development, the Karnataka government announced a Rs 4 per litre price hike for Nandini milk and curd, effective April 1. This decision was made during a Cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, aiming to support dairy farmers by compensating for increased production costs. Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) Chairman Bheema Naik defended the move, stating that milk prices in Karnataka were lower than in many other states. He emphasized that the additional revenue from the price hike would directly benefit farmers, ensuring better returns for their produce.
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