Karnataka to hike registration fee for commercial vehicles from May 1: Report
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Bengaluru: Starting May 1, registration fee for commercial vehicles priced within Rs 10 lakh and for those used in the construction sector will be increased as the state government is implementing the Karnataka Motor Vehicle Taxation (Amendment) Act, despite opposition from commercial vehicle operators.
The lifetime tax for cabs that cost less than Rs 10 lakh will be 5 percent of the cost of the vehicle, as reported by The New Indian Express on Wednesday.
The report noted that, until now, lifetime taxes were not levied in a lump sum on commercial vehicles (taxis) costing less than Rs 10 lakh; instead, taxes were collected quarterly at a rate of Rs 100 per seat for a four-seater vehicle.
“So every commercial vehicle priced within Rs 10 lakh annually paid tax of around Rs 1,800, including the cess. But now, the slabs have been revised and we have to pay lifetime tax at one go,” TNIE quoted K. Radhakrishna Holla, president, Karnataka State Travel Operators’ Association, as saying.
He added that buyers of vehicles priced within Rs 10 lakh, which include most commercial vehicles, will now have to pay approximately Rs 50,000 as lifetime tax upfront at the time of registration.
As per the revised slabs, those purchasing vehicles in the Rs 10–15 lakh range will be required to pay 9 percent of the vehicle’s cost as lifetime tax. Additionally, buyers of vehicles priced at Rs 15 lakh and above will now be required to pay 15 percent of the vehicle’s cost as lifetime tax.
Electric vehicles (EVs) priced above Rs 25 lakh were exempted from road tax. But now, it will now attract a 10 percent tax on the vehicle’s cost.
However, Radhakrishna Holla warned that taxing high-end EVs could further slow the state’s already lagging adoption of electric vehicles. “At this juncture, the government should not be levying taxes on e-vehicles. It will discourage people from operating commercial e-cars,” he said.
Vehicles used in the construction sector, as well as those equipped with air compressors and generators, will attract a lifetime tax of 8 percent of the vehicle’s cost, added the report.
The state government has set a revenue target of Rs 15,000 crore for the Transport Department in the 2025–26 fiscal year, with the revised taxation expected to boost collections.
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Kota C-section deaths: Strict treatment protocols in OTs, ICUs ordered
Kota (PTI): In the wake of the death of four women due to infection after C-section delivery, Rajasthan principal secretary (health) Gayatri Rathore has ordered strict adherence to treatment protocols in emergency operation theatres, ICUs and other critical units in hospitals.
Rathore on Monday night visited the ICU of the Super Speciality Block at New Medical College Hospital here and spoke to the relatives of three postpartum women, Pinki, Dhanni Bai, and Aarti, about their health.
She also spoke to Ragini Meena, who is admitted to the ICU, and said the condition has improved considerably.
Four women, two each at NMCH and JK Lone Hospital, died after developing complications following a caesarean delivery.
Pinki Mahawar, 30, wife of Chandra Prakash, a daily wage labourer, died on Monday of a similar infection after a C-section delivery.
Priya Mahawar, 22, died after developing a kidney infection post-C-section in JK Lone Hospital on the intervening night of May 9 and May 10.
Before her, two other women, Payal and Jyoti Nayak, aged 26 and 19, died on May 5 and May 7, in the New Medical College Hospital.
Meanwhile, Rathore said the patients' treatment is being monitored by senior nephrologist Dr Dhananjay Agrawal, according to a statement.
She was briefed by Dr Vikas Khandelia on the treatment of all postpartum women who got the infection.
According to a statement, she also met Chandrakala and Sushila, who have been shifted to the nephrology ward, and enquired about their health. Their relatives said that both women are now in a much better condition.
Later on Monday, the official chaired a meeting at NMCH, took information from senior doctors and discussed all possible causes behind the deaths due to infection.
She said that treatment protocols and infection-free operation theatres should also be ensured at district hospitals and PHC-CHC levels, and warned of action in case of any negligence.
Rathore said an investigation is underway into every aspect of the case. Action has already been taken against doctors and nursing personnel found prima facie guilty, the statement said.
According to the statement, Rathore said regular sterilisation must be ensured in these emergency units to prevent any possibility of infection. Equipment and machines used during treatment should also be sterilised as per protocol.
Hospital in-charges and unit heads should regularly monitor whether all treatment protocols are being followed properly, it said.
Rathore said hospital superintendents may also use RMRS funds for immediate requirements in ICUs and operation theatres.
The meeting was attended by District Collector Piyush Samaria, City Superintendent of Police Tejaswini Gautam, Food Safety and Drug Control Commissioner Dr T Shubhamangala, Director of Public Health Dr Ravi Prakash Sharma, Principal of Kota Medical College Dr Nilesh Jain, Dr Dhananjay Agrawal, and doctors from Jaipur.
