Mumbai: Waste(d) interest gets three buidings rebate in property tax

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 1200 societies that had enrolled for the rebateAt least 199 are active in the scheme and feeding data on the civic bodyrsquos portal about it but only three fulfilled the criteria set by the BMC Interestingly when midday contacted one of the societies the chairman said while they continue to segregate waste they had stopped filling data as there wasnrsquot any communication from the BMC about itPandemic delayed processThe 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 20000 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 202021 But as the pandemic hit the city the process stalledldquoWe started the procedure in April 2021 There are over 3000 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 centrdquo 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 2021V C Kapoor chairman of Bandstand Society said that they received a certificate two years back saying they would get a rebate but nothing happened ldquoWe were filling up data regularly but didnrsquot get any rebate After a certain point we stopped feeding the data and still havenrsquot received any intimation of rebaterdquo said Kapoor He added that now every member gets the property tax individually and the rebate on the societyrsquos property tax doesnrsquot have any meaning But the society is still managing waste on its premisesPrasad Pendse secretary of Vijay Nagar Society in Andheri a pioneer in management of waste in housing societies since 2016 also hasnrsquot received any rebate ldquoWe are surprised as we have been following the process from day one In fact we were called to frame the policy for the rebaterdquo 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 ldquoOur overall property tax of the society is around Rs 110 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 burdenrdquolsquoProcedure should be easyrsquoAsif Zakaria corporator from Bandra told midday that many societies have started managing their waste ldquoSuch 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 framerdquo he saidldquoWe 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 yearrdquo said Sangita Hasnale deputy municipal commissioner of the SWM DepartmentWho is eligible for the rebateAccording 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 nonpotable purposes like toilet flushing