In a move likely to spark fresh debate over civic services in the Millennium City, residents have begun receiving property tax bills carrying an additional sanitation or garbage collection charge. The new levy, linked to property tax assessments, requires property owners to contribute separately towards waste collection, street sweeping and sanitation services undertaken by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG). The development comes amid continuing concerns over the city’s waste management system.
According to information shared by residents and RWAs, the sanitation charge has been added to the latest property tax bills. In several residential areas, residents reported additional charges ranging from a few hundred rupees to over Rs 500 depending on the size and category of the property. In Sector 21’s Surya Vihar colony, residents reported a sanitation charge of around Rs 540 in recent bills, while in some group housing societies the levy reportedly ranges between Rs 216 and Rs 432.
Municipal authorities maintain that the charge is not limited to door-to-door garbage collection but also covers sanitation-related activities such as road sweeping, cleaning of public areas and maintenance of cleanliness infrastructure. Officials pointed out that the state government had notified provisions for recovery of such charges along with property tax as far back as 2018, though implementation in Gurugram had been delayed.
However, the move has drawn criticism from several resident groups and RWAs, who argue that citizens are already paying private garbage collectors due to irregular municipal services. Many residents claim they shell out between Rs 50 and Rs 150 per month to private waste collectors because a consistent door-to-door collection mechanism remains absent in several localities. Critics describe the levy as a form of “double payment”, alleging that residents are being asked to pay an additional sanitation tax despite continuing gaps in civic services.
