Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and other BJP leaders have strongly criticized the Karnataka government’s decision to implement a garbage collection fee (Garbage Tax) in Bengaluru that comes into effect from today (1st April). Slamming the Siddaramaiah sarkara, BJP said that the Congress-led state government has gone bankrupt and is burdening citizens with additional taxes.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has introduced a “solid waste management user fee,” requiring residents of Bengaluru to pay a monthly fee for garbage collection and disposal. Different fee structures have been established for residential buildings, shops, and hotels under this new waste management system.
“The Karnataka government has become garbage for the nation. The state government is bankrupt. Today, there is so much inflation in Karnataka, and now they are imposing a ‘Garbage tax.’ I strongly condemn this decision,” said Union Minister Pralhad Joshi while speaking to reporters.
#WATCH | Delhi | Over Bengaluru garbage collection fee, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi says, “The Karnataka government has become garbage for the nation. The state government has gone pauper, bankrupt. Today, there is so much inflation in Karnataka, and now this ‘Garbage tax’. I… pic.twitter.com/3FiGyRPMnf
— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2025
BJP MP K Sudhakar accused the Congress government of finding new ways to tax the common people, calling the new policy a “garbage cess.”
Expressing his outrage, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy stated, “From today, the Congress government is imposing a cess even on garbage! It is draining the blood of the people!”
Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra also voiced his opposition, claiming that the Congress government is imposing new taxes to compensate for its financial shortfalls.
“They are taxing everything because they are failing to fulfill their financial guarantees. They are benefiting on one side in the name of guarantees and on the other side they are plundering people with augmented taxes. We are demonstrating against this,” he added.
Reacting to these steps, the BJP is holding protests in Karnataka, stressing that the Congress government is overloading people with increasing expenses. The garbage cess comes after the recent hikes in milk and electricity rates in the state, further fueling concerns over the economic burden on residents.
In the new system, the garbage collection cess (Garbage Tax) will be levied monthly by the company in charge of solid waste management, on top of home expenses. BJP leaders contend that the Congress government is imposing extra taxation because it does not have sufficient funds in hand to keep promises it made to the people of Karnataka.
As opposition parties stepped up the protests, imposing the garbage tax continues to be a controversial move, eliciting harsh responses from political leaders and the public at large.
