While people await New Year's eve with the hope that it will usher them into a bright future, 2016 seems to be giving jitters to commercial establishments in the city. To generate revenue and handle solid waste management of the garbage generated by these establishments, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has decided to levy solid waste tax.
From January 1, small and big hotels, hospitals, shops, malls and other commercial establishments will have to pay solid waste tax. "The decision has been taken by civic chief Sanjeev Jaiswal as the process of solid waste management is expensive," said Ashok Burpulle, deputy civic chief.
As per TMC, Thane generates 700 metric tonnes of garbage daily and the handling of this waste is an expensive affair. "The commercial establishments generate major chunk of solid waste, which needs to be segregated and treated. With the abolition of octroi and local body tax, lack of dumping ground, solid waste management is turning into an expensive affair," added Burpulle.
As the cash-strapped corporation has to deal not only with the waste management, but even fund its ambitious incineration plant that will convert municipal waste into energy, the civic body is of the opinion that the revenue generated from this new tax will be helpful.
"With no LBT and octroi, the state has asked all the corporations to generate their own sources of revenue and we are doing the same," he added.
Pay as per size
It is based on the size of the establishments and so a small hotel of 250 square ft will have to pay Rs500 per month, while a 1,000 square ft will have to pay Rs1,000. Malls will have to pay Rs4,500, while wedding halls will have to shell out Rs2,250 per month. There are approximately 256 hospitals in the city and based on the number of beds they will have to pay the tax. For instance, a 10-bed hospital will have to pay Rs450 per month, while those with over 200 beds will have to pay Rs1,800 per month.
Even the shopkeepers have been brought into the ambit of this tax and a small shop will have to pay Rs350, while a big shop will have to pay Rs750 per month.
