Mumbai: Now, regulatory body to revise charges for all civic services

A civic staff collects waste from Habib Hospital in Dongri. File pic

With an aim to improve its revenue generation for the upcoming year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to form a regulatory body to revise the municipal charges and fees levied on various services provided by it. The civic body will be forming this body on the lines of the Maharashtra Electricity Regulation Commission (MERC), where a separate unit plans the revision of charges on various services on a timely basis.

During presentation of the budget, the civic chief had said that BMC is looking at increasing its revenue income. File pic

During the 2021-22 budget speech on Wednesday, municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal had mentioned that the BMC was looking at increasing its revenue income and hence it was important to revise the charges. A civic official said, "The decision should not be arbitrary, because that might lead to exorbitant increase in charges. If a regulatory body is in place, then things can be in control."

The civic body provides a number of services to citizens through various departments. For example, the health department issues birth and death certificates at nominal rates. However, the solid waste management department does not levy any charge for waste collection but it could be a source of revenue as well, said a source. As the charges have not been revised for long, revenue collection by these departments have remained stagnant. However, expenditure continues to increase.

The budget mentions that the said authority will decide the rates based on multiple parametres and give suggestions to the BMC, which will then implement the decisions accordingly. Further, if required, amendments will be done under the MMC Act, 1888 with the approval of the competent authority. Chahal had further said, "The body will be on the lines of a regulatory authority, which will formulate the appropriate charges and then they will be levied."