The Trinamool-run Englishbazar municipality's decision to take service charges for collecting garbage from each household and business establishment located in its jurisdiction has drawn criticism from a major trade body.

The Malda Merchant Chamber of Commerce (MMCM), one of the major trade bodies in north Bengal, has alleged that the decision is against the policy of the state government.

In the Englishbazar civic area, the board has levied a charge of one rupee per day for collecting garbage from every household. However, for business establishments, the charge is being calculated per square foot, depending on the grade of business.

"That's why even smaller traders will have to pay ₹500 to ₹1,000 per month. The charges are much higher for larger business establishments,” said MMCM president Jayanta Kundu.

He said that last month, while chief minister Mamata Banerjee was speaking at an event in Siliguri, she had clearly said that the local bodies should not impose any such tax.

“The civic authorities here are acting against the policy of the state government. We are opposing the decision and have told our members not to pay the money. We will also bring this service charge to the chief minister’s notice,” Kundu added.

Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury, the civic chairman, countered the charge.

“Collection of service charge is essential to get grants under the 16th finance commission. I attended a meeting of the commission a couple of months before and was asked to introduce the service charge. The provision of this service charge has also been mentioned in the gazette of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan,” he said.

He accused the trade body of behaving like a political party.

“It is a trade body, but the office bearers are acting like political parties in opposition. They should realise that it is not they but we who represent the people. Actually, a section of MMCM members are breaching municipal rules and hence trying to divert attention by crying hoarse over the garbage collection charge,” Choudhury added.

The CPM, which does not have any councillor in the civic body, alleged that even the three BJP councillors in the 29-member municipality did not oppose the decision to levy the conservancy charge in households and business establishments.

“We have started a mass signature campaign against the decision. We will also reach out to people and launch a movement against the civic chairman and the TMC board that is acting against people and the business fraternity,” said Suvojit Mitra, secretary of the Englishbazar area CPM committee.