Solid waste management: PCMC on backfoot as govt stays collection of user charges

MLA Mahesh Landge, who first raised the issue, said societies will save crores of rupees.

The PCMC chief said they were collecting the user charges of Rs 60 from every household and Rs 120 to a maximum of Rs 200 from industrial establishments. (File Photo)

The Maharashtra government Wednesday stayed the collection of user charges from residential properties, industrial establishments and commercial properties under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, by Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

The government told the PCMC not to collect the charges until a meeting is held in this matter between Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and MLA Mahesh Landge.

Landge first raised the issue of user charges being slapped on residential properties in April this year during the Monsoon Session of the Legislative Assembly. Subsequently, he held a meeting with CM Shinde.

”I am happy to reveal that the state government has directed the PCMC not to collect user charges from its residents. The user charges were unjust and had drawn severe criticism from the residents. And therefore, I raised the issue in the House and took it up with the state government,” Landge said, adding that residents, especially those living in residential societies, will save around Rs 150 crore because of the stay.

When contacted, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh said the civic body received the state government’s directives regarding user charges. ”We will adhere to the state government directives. We will not collect the user charges from the residents until a meeting is held in this regard with the chief minister,” the PCMC chief said.

Singh said the user charges were being collected under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, framed by the central government. ”PCMC is not the only civic body collecting the user charges. All civic bodies across the country were doing it,” he said.

The PCMC chief said they were collecting the user charges of Rs 60 from every household and Rs 120 to a maximum of Rs 200 from industrial establishments. ”Since we had to collect the user charges with a retrospective effect from 2019, we decided to collect each past year’s amount in the subsequent year.This was being done through the property tax bill. The property tax bills are given twice a year. In the 2023-24 property tax bill, we included the charges of this year as well as the user charges of 2019-20,” he said.

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PCMC Assistant Municipal Commissioner Nilesh Deshmukh said, ”So far, we have collected Rs 47 crore user charges from 3.5 lakh property holders.”

Manoj Dattatrye More

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

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