Karnataka rolls back plan for 20% lifetime tax on EVs

The Karnataka government has decided to roll back 20 per cent tax on electric vehicles.Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Wednesday rolled back a proposal to levy 20 per cent tax on electric vehicles costing above Rs 20 lakh, following a nudge from lawmakers across parties, including the ruling Congress. Reddy had proposed 20 per cent lifetime tax on new electric vehicles as part of the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Taxation (Second Amendment) Bill. The Bill was passed by the Assembly after the minister agreed to drop the 20 per cent tax proposal. The amended version of the Bill proposes 10% tax on electric vehicles.  Under the Bill, Reddy said the government will not levy lifetime tax on yellow-board cars valued at Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh and good vehicles with a capacity of 1,500-12,000 kg.Former industries minister R V Deshpande, former deputy chief minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan and others urged Reddy not to levy 20 per cent tax on electric vehicles as it could discourage vehicle buyers. 

The Karnataka government is considering demands to name Hubballi airport after Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna and Belagavi airport after Veera Rani Kittur Chennamma, Minister M B Patil told the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. Noting that it has been a practice to name the airport after the city in which it has been built, he said. such name-changing comes under the ambit of union government's Civil Aviation Ministry. If the state government wants to rename any airport in the state, a resolution to this effect has to be tabled and passed in both houses of the state legislature, and the proposal sent to the Centre, the Minister said.
"The demand to name Hubballi airport after Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna and Belagavi airport after Veera Rani Kittur Chennamma is under consideration and I will discuss with the Chief Minister about tabling a proposal to this effect in both houses of the legislature, and taking further steps," he added.Rani Chennamma (1778–1829), the queen of erstwhile princely state of Kittur in Belagavi district, had
fought against the British, and is remembered as a folk hero in Karnataka.Sangolli Rayanna (1798-1831) was the army chief of the erstwhile Kittur Kingdom ruled by Rani Chennamma and fought against the British who hanged him to death from a Banyan tree near Nandagad in Belagavi district in 1831.
The Large and Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development Minister said he would discuss with the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah about passing a resolution by both Houses of the state legislature on the issue of renaming of the airports. "There have been demand for some time now and memorandums have been submitted by various organisations to the government to name Hubballi airport after Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna and Belagavi airport after Veera Rani Kittur Chennamma,"Patil said.

(Dr Mysi Patil, State Correspondent)