Resident welfare associations stage protest against levy of user charges for garbage collection

‘Property tax includes charges for garbage treatment, underground drainage, provision of drinking water and other services’

Members of the Visakhapatnam Apartment Residents’ Welfare association (VARWA) and the Greater Visakha Resident Colonies Associations’ Federation (NIVAS) staged a protest against the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation’s (GVMC) decision to impose user charges for garbage collection, near Gandhi Statue at the GVMC Office here on Thursday.

The members raised slogans against the decision.

Addressing the protesters, General Secretary, Forum for Development of North Andhra (FDNA), Aja Sarma, said that it was not justified to impose user charges for garbage collection as the proposed property tax includes charges for garbage treatment, underground drainage, provision of drinking water and other services to the citizens.

NIVAS General Secretary P. Narayana Murty said that at a time when COVID-19 has devastated the lives of people, the government should think of giving incentives, but here the State government is burdening them with additional taxes.

VARWA president N. Prakash Rao condemned collection of penalties if the payment is delayed. VARWA General Secretary B.B. Ganesh and others demanded immediate withdrawal of the decision.

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