Rising summer heat, spiralling costs, taxes – Star of Mysore

Residents cry foul and protest in opposition to monetary burden this fiscal 12 months

Bengaluru: With rising summer temperatures and no reduction from rains, the residents of Karnataka are already going through a tricky begin to the brand new monetary 12 months.

As of April 1 (at the moment), the State has witnessed a surge in dwelling prices, with hikes in milk costs, electrical energy expenses, property tax charges, toll charges, stamp charges, industrial car cess, lifetime tax on e-automobiles and taxes coming into impact.

The Rs. 4 per litre hike in milk costs is about to drive up the associated fee of milk-primarily based merchandise like espresso, tea and badam milk at accommodations and eating places. Coupled with elevated bills for day by day necessities, this monetary burden is weighing closely on the frequent man.

With only a few weeks left for the Congress Authorities, led by Siddaramaiah, to finish two years in energy, these value hikes are being seen as a significant blow to the general public.

Electrical energy expenses have gone up, with mounted expenses rising by Rs. 25 for 2025-26, adopted by additional hikes of Rs. 5 in 2026-27 and Rs. 10 in 2027-28. Shoppers will now must pay Rs. 0.36 extra per unit of electrical energy, because the Authorities allocates funds to supply pensions and gratuities to Vitality Division staff.

Whereas Karnataka Electrical energy Regulatory Fee (KERC) has diminished power expenses by 10 paise per unit, the hike in mounted expenses will considerably improve month-to-month energy payments.

Toll expenses

Including to the monetary pressure, toll expenses have been elevated at greater than 60 toll plazas throughout Karnataka, together with on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Freeway.

The minimal toll hike is Rs. 5, which is able to push up transportation prices and, in flip, have an effect on the costs of greens, fruits and flowers. In accordance with an NHAI official, these toll revisions are linked to the Wholesale Worth Index (WPI) inflation below the Nationwide Highways Payment Guidelines and are half of an annual nationwide revision to align with inflationary tendencies. The burden doesn’t finish there, as State and Union price range tax hikes have additionally come into impact.

Stamp charge, registration

Registration and stamp charges have seen a major hike, rising from Rs. 50 to Rs. 500, whereas the minimal stamp paper charge has risen from Rs. 20 to Rs.100.

The Authorities has additionally launched an extra cess on newly registered industrial automobiles, together with taxis, buses, and auto-rickshaws, together with a lifetime tax on electrical automobiles priced above Rs. 25 lakh.

Business car operators have already indicated that these elevated prices will probably be handed on on to shoppers. With value hikes hitting a number of sectors directly, Karnataka residents are actually bracing for a financially difficult 12 months forward.