Punjab local governments have failed to collect solid waste tax from urban properties across all 41 districts, prompting authorities to approve a new dedicated enforcement force modeled on the Elite Force to recover unpaid dues, officials said.
The proposed force will operate under the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department and will function specifically to strengthen collection of cleanliness charges, which had been set at Rs300 to Rs500 for small houses and Rs1,000 per shop.
Under the plan, 305 new posts will be created, including 300 grade-5 Excise and Taxation constables tasked with recovering waste collection charges from nearly 4.7 million properties across the province.
Each district will be assigned seven to eight constables for this purpose, with a director and four deputy directors appointed to oversee the operations of the force province-wide.
The new personnel will report to the Director General of Excise and Taxation and will work specifically under the Suthra Punjab Programme. Their duties will include distributing cleanliness charge bills, following up with defaulters, and recovering outstanding dues.
To support field operations, the plan proposes providing 300 electric motorcycles to personnel assigned to collection duties, along with a 1,300cc car and four other vehicles for monitoring and enforcement. The total cost for the motorcycles and five vehicles has been estimated at Rs11.3 crore.
Officials are also considering a supplementary grant to cover the costs of the new posts, vehicles, and other associated expenses.
