Traders cry foul as Chandigarh MC adds garbage collection charges to property tax

A large number of city traders has taken an exception to the Municipal Corporation’’s decision of adding garbage collection charges to the property tax.

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They claim that while the MC has failed to ensure proper garbage collection in markets, it has started charging the garbage collection fee.

Naresh Malhotra, owner of an SCO in Sector 22, has raised the issue in a letter to Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla. He said the MC had imposed garbage collection charges of Rs 9,844 and added the same to his property tax bill for 2025-26.

Malhotra claimed that neither garbage was being collected from the premises nor any person had been deputed to clean area near his SCO.

Asking why should he pay a huge amount as the garbage collection charges to the MC in advance, he has requested the Mayor to look into the matter.

Sanjiv Chadha , president of Chandigarh Beopar Mandal, said he had been receiving similar complaints from many markets. When the MC had failed to put in place a proper garbage collection system in markets, why it was levying the charges for the same, he asked.

Chadha said there was no reason to add the garbage charges to the property tax bills. He said charging the fees in advance was also wrong. He added that there is no arrangement for garbage collection in Burail for two years, but the MC is still charging the traders for garbage collection.

Alleging harassment of the traders by the MC, the CBM president said there was a total mismanagement in the system as people were still getting bills on old rates. He reiterated the demand for extending the last date for depositing the property tax.

Chander Verma, president, Chandigarh Business Council, has also opposed the practice of adding the garbage collection charges to the property tax bill. Seeking the extension of the deadline, he said wrong bills were being sent on the old enhanced rates. “When people go for correction no one listens to them. They are asked to deposit the bill and that it will be adjusted next year,” he added.

According to the Solid Waste Management Bylaws, the user fee for collection, transportation and disposal of solid waste is to be charged from residential areas and commercial establishments. While the garbage collection charges are being added to water bills in residential areas, the same is being added to property tax bills for the commercial properties.

RK Garg, president, Second Innings Association, has also demanded the extension of the deadline for clearing property tax. He added that if the property tax is not paid in time i.e. before the last date fixed by the MC, the property owners will have to pay 25% as penalty and 12% per annum as interest from April 2025, which works out to 60% extra over and above.