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Karnataka News: The Karnataka government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is planning to introduce a "cess" or additional tax on movie tickets and OTT platform subscriptions. The proposed legislation, the Karnataka Cine and Cultural Activists (Welfare) Bill, 2024, aims to generate revenue that will be used to support cinema artists and other industry contributors.

According to reports, the cess is expected to range from 1 per cent to 2 per cent and will be subject to revision by the state government every three years. The bill was tabled in the Karnataka assembly by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil, despite opposition from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, who staged a protest at the Vidhana Soudha, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over alleged financial irregularities.

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The move comes at a time when the Karnataka government is already facing flak for the rising prices of essential commodities. Earlier this month, the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) hiked the price of milk by Rs 2, the second such increase in less than a year. The opposition BJP has criticised the decision, labelling it as "anti-people" and urging the state government to reconsider.

Karnataka Petrol Prices Hike

Last month, the Siddaramaiah government also revised the sales tax on petroleum products, leading to a price hike. The price of petrol in Bengaluru has surged by Rs 3, now costing Rs 102.84 per litre, up from the previous rate of Rs 99.84. Similarly, the price of diesel has increased by Rs 3.02, raising the cost per litre from Rs 85.93 to Rs 88.95.

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Reacting to the proposed cess on movie tickets and OTT subscriptions, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla described it as a "jiziya type tax," referring to a historical tax levied on non-Muslims in some Islamic states. Poonawalla accused the Congress government of "looting" the state due to various scams, including the MUDA Scam and Valmiki Scam and now making the people pay for their mistakes.

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