BENGALURU: The Bengaluru Apartment Federation (BAF) has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the “discriminatory” solid waste management charges imposed on apartment communities.
“Since mid-January this year, new regulations have unfairly classified user fees on solid waste in apartment complexes with over 100 units as bulk waste generators. While an independent house under 2,000 sqft pays a nominal fee of Rs 100 per month through property tax, apartment residents are being charged Rs 12 per kg. Coupled with a 18 per cent GST burden, this amounts to approximately Rs 360 per month per flat, a staggering 600 per cent increase in waste disposal costs,” said Satish Mallaya, federation president, which represents over 1,000 members.
The federation said instead of forcing associations to sign contracts with waste processing units, the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) should directly collect a parity-based user fee from apartments without GST and appoint the waste processors directly.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, BAF office-bearers expressed disappointment over the legislative stagnation and highlighted that two years have passed since Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar assured the Legislative Assembly of a new law to replace the outdated 1972 Act.
Although the Karnataka Apartment Ownership (and Management ) Bill (KAOMA) 2025 draft has been ready since July 2025, and public consultations were held following a prior BAF press conference on December 2 last year, the Bill has still not been tabled. While suggestions were sought and reviewed by the DCM, no preparations have been made to introduce the legislation.
“The delay in passing the KAOMA 2025 is leaving citizens struggling to manage their apartments issues, resolve disputes, and protect their ownership rights. To safeguard the interests of lakhs of apartment owners, we request the DCM and all legislators to pass this Act in the current budget session,” the federation said in a release.