AAP condemns EDMC's addl garbage collection fee for dispensaries, clinics

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ruled Delhi government issued a statement on Friday condemning the BJP-ruled East Delhi Municipal Corporation for levying an additional garbage collection fee from dispensaries and doctors' clinics. AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said: "Each doctor's clinic will now have to pay Rs 30,000 annually to the MCD for garbage removal; an additional fee of Rs 24,000 introduced alongside the previous annual fee of Rs 6,000".

He said that BJP's MCD has given a shocker on Doctor's Day. "After looting traders with manifold taxes and license fees, Doctors are on the MCD's target. BJP's MCD has also introduced a Professional Tax to be levied on professionals like CAs, Architects, Doctors, etc. It is ridiculous and condemnable that the MCD has stooped down to loot people with irrational taxes and fees. AAP demands rollback of MCD's irrational fees and taxes. A signature campaign was started by AAP yesterday to raise a voice against MCD's condemnable harassment of traders", Bharadwaj added.

"Every type of tax and license fee is being increased by the MCD. Under the name of the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, this tax has been introduced. Now, you must be wondering what is the waste generated in a doctor's clinic? Other than the dust on the floor, a very crucial waste that is generated is the bio-medical waste. However, it is surprising that the doctors are already made to pay Rs 500 per month to get this bio-medical waste removed", he said.

However, East MCD officials said that this move is a Delhi Government Gazette notification from 2018. East Delhi Mayor Shyam Sunder Aggarwal said: "This move is completely unfair but the directive came from the Delhi Government itself. We are simply the implementation agency and

we ourselves do not want to implement it all. We are under stress to implement this notification and urge the Delhi Government to withdraw it (the notification)".