Karnataka proposes to hike beer prices again; Second increase in four months
Bengaluru: Just days after raising diesel tax, power tariff, and milk prices, the Karnataka government has now proposed a hike in beer prices—the second time in four months.
The state government, in a draft notification, has proposed to increase the Additional Excise Duty (AED) on beer by 10 percent and this could lead to an increase in beer prices by up to Rs 50 per bottle, Deccan Herald quoted its sources as saying.
It has also decided to do away with a fixed Rs 130 excise duty for lower-end beers and going forward, 205 percent AED will apply to all beer brands.
“Beer prices in most of our neighbouring states are higher than ours. Hence, there was some potential to increase the revenue by increasing the prices,” DH quoted an official as saying.
However, the official noted that the government is unlikely to raise beer prices again in the near future, given the recent back-to-back hikes.
While the exact price hike will vary by brand, sellers believe it could lead to a drop in sales. According to a brewery owner from North Bengaluru, sales have already declined significantly due to the previous price hike. While beer sales are typically high during the summer, this year has seen a noticeable drop.
The excise department issued the draft notification on Tuesday, giving citizens seven days to file their objections.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS, founded in 1925, describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
