KOCHIThe Kochi Corporation proposes to introduce a direct benefit transfer system for the payment of subsidy towards the collection of biomedical waste.At present, the Corporation pays a subsidy of ₹28 per kilogram while users contribute ₹12 per kilogram. The subsidy component is remitted directly to Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Ltd (KEIL), where part of the biomedical waste generated by the Corporation is treated.“We plan to introduce a direct benefit transfer system by paying the subsidy directly to the beneficiary to ensure that only the eligible are benefited. We may end the agreement with KEIL shortly as the rate hike proposed by them is not feasible for the Corporation. Instead, we will increase the capacity of two incinerators at Brahmapuram operated by Raidco Kerala Limited from the existing three tonnes to five tonnes, for which the purchase of a dryer has been approved,” said Mayor V.K. Minimol. Reportedly, KEIL has revised the rate from ₹28 per kg to ₹36 plus GST after September 30.The Corporation is also set to make registration in the My Kochi app mandatory for biomedical waste collection. This is expected to provide the Corporation with a beneficiary list, which it presently lacks.In due course, the Corporation may directly take over the collection of biomedical waste from households using its own fleet of vehicles and treat it at its facility in Brahmapuram.This will enable the Corporation to eliminate the involvement of private players in the collection and transportation of biomedical waste. For now, the Corporation has decided to continue the subsidy for biomedical waste collection, though it may eventually restrict it to those certified by palliative care experts.Currently, the Corporation spends around ₹8.50 crore annually on the treatment of biomedical waste collected through two agencies – Aakri and Suchigo. The civic body suspects that the volume of biomedical waste submitted by these agencies includes waste collected from neighbouring local bodies.The Corporation is banking on a biomedical treatment facility with a capacity of 20 tonnes being built by the Clean Kerala Company under a Public Private Participation model at Brahmapuram. This facility is expected to accommodate biomedical waste from neighbouring local bodies in the long run. Such an arrangement is considered crucial to ending the dumping of biomedical waste by residents of other municipalities within Corporation limits.At its last meeting, the Corporation council approved a proposal by a firm, Success Projects, to collect sanitary waste at ₹20 per kilogram – ₹12 to be paid by users and a subsidy of ₹8. The existing two agencies have been asked to match this rate, failing which they risk being excluded. Published - July 17, 2026 07:51 pm IST