BENGALURU: In support of the Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party (BNP), over 1,000 people from different areas of Bengaluru pledged online not to pay additional taxes like the solid waste management user fee and parking fee in private spaces that were introduced by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). BNP launched the online petition ‘I won’t pay new charges’ regarding the issue of additional tax.
The petition has been presented to the BBMP administrator which has been forwarded to BBMP Commissioner Tushar Girinath, say BNP members..
BNP members said the reasons for the new fee are outlined clearly, and alternatives are presented to the public.
Piyoosh, a resident from Kanakapura road, said, “Officials are collecting Rs 1500-Rs 2,000 per flat! Imagine for our one apartment complex, they’re raking in a cool Rs 38 lakhs! And for not providing any service! Where will the money go?”
Madhu Sudhan Venkatesh, a resident of HSR layout, said, “BBMP is rushing to impose fee after fee without offering clarity. Shouldn’t BBMP support responsible efforts instead of penalizing citizens? And why parking fees in our own private space? You can’t run a city like with zero consultation and 100 per cent imposition. Until BBMP justifies these charges with full transparency, we will not pay. Citizens deserve respect, not surprise taxes.”
Meanwhile, Srikanth Narasimhan, BNP founder, said, “We will pay our property tax, but we will not pay an additional fee for the time being. Let there first be a proper justification and an elected council that makes this decision. After that, we can think of whether and how much to pay. Since the BBMP budget is substantial and allocation for solid waste management is reasonable, we have initiated this campaign to force a consensus on fee payment.”