Karnataka govt proposes 2% cess on movie tickets, TV channels
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has proposed levying a 2 per cent cess on movie tickets and subscription fee of television entertainment channels to fund welfare schemes for cine and cultural activists, according to draft rules notified by the Labour Department.
The draft rules have been framed under the Karnataka Cine and Cultural Activists (Welfare) Act, 2024, enacted by the state legislature.
The Act provides for constituting a welfare board and establishing a fund to finance schemes for the social security and welfare of cine and cultural activists in the state.
The Act further provides for a 1-2 per cent cess on movie tickets and subscription fees to generate funds. The draft rules finalise the cess rate at 2 per cent, a notification dated September 24 stated.
"Two per cent cess on cinema tickets of all theatres, including multiplex theatres. Two per cent cess on total transaction of television entertainment channels operating in the State of Karnataka," the draft rules state.
Under the Act, cine and cultural activists in the age group of 18 to 60 years, belonging to certain categories, will have to register with the government.
According to the Act, a "Cine and Cultural Activist" means any person employed in the field of cinema to work as an artist (including actor, musician, or dancer) or to perform any work — skilled, unskilled, manual, supervisory, technical, artistic, or otherwise — or any person engaged in other activities as declared by the government.
Registered cine and cultural activists will be eligible for accident benefits in case of death or disability, medical reimbursement, natural death assistance to the nominee of the deceased (including funeral expenses), education assistance for children, maternity benefits, and pensions.
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BJP has history of ‘contradictory alliances’, says BK Hariprasad
Bengaluru: Congress MLC B. K. Hariprasad has launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing the party of hypocrisy over its criticism of alliance politics in Tamil Nadu.
In a post on X on Friday, Hariprasad said BJP leader B. L. Santhosh criticising the Congress party’s alliance politics in Tamil Nadu was “not just laughable, but the height of political contradiction.”
He said the Congress has always joined hands with like-minded parties to protect secular and democratic values in the country.
Hariprasad questioned the BJP over several of its past and present alliances across the country. Referring to Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Tripura, Bihar and Maharashtra, he accused the BJP of sharing power with parties it had earlier criticised.
He alleged that the BJP had aligned with separatist and corruption-linked political forces in different states for political gains.
“The BJP, which speaks against alliances today, should first look at its own political history,” he said, adding that the party’s record was full of “contradictions and changing stands.”
Hariprasad also accused the BJP of using central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department and CBI as political tools to target opposition leaders, topple governments and influence electoral mandates.
He further claimed that the people of Tamil Nadu had strongly rejected the BJP and its ideology in the recent election.
“Congress forms alliances to protect the Constitution, secularism and national unity, while the BJP enters into alliances only for power,” he said.
