Three societies get 10 per cent rebate in property tax for segregating and composting garbage
A worker disposes waste into the composting bin at the Bandstand Society. Pics/Shadab Khan
Three societies in Mumbai will get a 10 per cent rebate in the property tax for solid waste management (segregation as well as composting) this year. The societies, Arihant Heights at Masjid Bunder, Bandstand Society at Bandra West and The Skywalk at Malad West are among more than 1,200 societies that had enrolled for the rebate.
At least 199 are active in the scheme and feeding data on the civic body’s portal about it, but only three fulfilled the criteria set by the BMC. Interestingly, when mid-day contacted one of the societies, the chairman said while they continue to segregate waste, they had stopped filling data as there wasn’t any communication from the BMC about it.
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Pandemic delayed process
The tax rebate for waste management is a long pending demand by housing societies. After the BMC made solid waste management (SWM) compulsory for big societies (with more than 20,000 sq feet area) and new buildings built after 2007, the demand for the rebate intensified. Former municipal chief Pravin Pardeshi had announced a 15 per cent rebate in property tax and the standing committee approved it in August 2019. The tax rebate was supposed to be applicable in 2020-21. But as the pandemic hit the city, the process stalled.
“We started the procedure in April 2021. There are over 3,000 societies which will have to process waste on their premises to avail the benefit of the rebate. Out of these, 199 societies are consistent and fill their data. Of these, three societies will get a rebate of 10 per cent,” said an SWM official. BMC officials said these societies will get 10 per cent rebate on general component in the next bill. Property tax is declared twice a year. This rebate they are supposed to get, is from April to September 2021.
V C Kapoor, chairman of Bandstand Society, said that they received a certificate two years back saying they would get a rebate, but nothing happened. “We were filling up data regularly, but didn’t get any rebate. After a certain point we stopped feeding the data and still haven’t received any intimation of rebate,” said Kapoor. He added that now every member gets the property tax individually and the rebate on the society’s property tax doesn’t have any meaning. But the society is still managing waste on its premises.
Prasad Pendse, secretary of Vijay Nagar Society in Andheri, a pioneer in management of waste in housing societies since 2016, also hasn’t received any rebate. “We are surprised as we have been following the process from day one. In fact, we were called to frame the policy for the rebate,” said Pendse. He added that they are not interested in rebate anymore but it will help ease the burden of solid waste management on societies. “Our overall property tax of the society is around Rs 1.10 crore and if the society gets 15 per cent rebate on general tax (General tax is around 30 per cent of the total tax; education cess, tree cess, etc. are other components) it will somehow ease the burden.”
‘Procedure should be easy’
Asif Zakaria, corporator from Bandra told mid-day that many societies have started managing their waste. “Such initiatives for rebate are good but the process is tedious. If they really want to promote segregation and waste management, the process should be easy and rewards should be given within a time frame,” he said.
“We want housing societies to come forward and take the rebate for the work they have been doing. We have streamlined the process after discussion with the tax assessment department and are looking to ease the process so that maximum societies will get rebate in the current year,” said Sangita Hasnale, deputy municipal commissioner of the SWM Department.
Who is eligible for the rebate?
According to the proposal of tax rebate for solid waste management, five per cent rebate will be given for segregating waste. Another five per cent will be given for processing wet waste and reusing dry waste. The society will get another five per cent rebate if it recycles its waste water (grey water policy) and rainwater for non-potable purposes, like toilet flushing.
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