Sambalpur, Jan. 8: Residents here will soon have to pay user fees to the Sambalpur municipal council for collection of solid waste. The municipality has passed a resolution to charge Rs 30 per house every month for waste collection.

Chairperson of Sambalpur municipality Kalpana Sahu said: “We have sent the resolution copy to the government for approval. The civic body will start charging the user fees after the resolution is approved by the government.”

“The municipality will charge a small fee for the service. Several other municipalities in the state have already started charging user fees for collection of solid waste,” said Kalpana.

“The user fees will generate revenue for the civic body to enable it to undertake various developmental work in the city. Moreover, as the residents have to pay for the service, they will monitor the work of the cleaning staff. If they do not get satisfactory service, they will bring it to our notice. This will help improve the sanitation scenario of the city,” she said.

The civic body will also charge restaurants, shops, hotels, private wedding venues and other business establishments. “From medicine shops to big hotels, all business establishments will be charged the user fees after the proposal is approved,” said chairperson of Sambalpur Municipality Kalpana Sahu.

The city generates 60 to 70 tonnes of garbage every day. But the collection and disposal has remained a matter of concern.

Heaps of garbage are strewn all over several parts of the city. The sanitation of 15 wards has been outsourced and is looked after by an NGO. The sanitation of the rest of the 14 wards is looked after by the Sambalpur municipality.

Newton Ray, a local resident, said: “Sanitation is the biggest concern for residents of the city. If the civic body delivers better service after the implementation of the proposal, I will not have any problem in giving Rs 30 for cleanliness of my locality.”