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Karnataka
The Karnataka Assembly on Monday passed an amendment Bill aimed at regulating outdoor advertisements and enabling municipal bodies to levy and collect fees on hoardings and billboards across the state. The Karnataka Legislative Assembly adopted the Karnataka Municipalities and Certain Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, after it was moved by Urban Development and Town Planning Minister B S Suresha. The legislation empowers municipal councils and corporations to levy an advertisement fee on any person who erects, exhibits, fixes or displays an advertisement on land, buildings, walls, hoardings or other structures within municipal limits. The fee will be determined by local bodies through a resolution, subject to minimum and maximum rates prescribed by the state government. However, the Bill provides exemptions for advertisements related to public meetings of municipalities or corporations, elections to legislative bodies and candidature in such elections. It also mandates the display
The Karnataka government has approved industrial projects with a total investment of Rs 4,824.31 crore, that will generate 14,525 new employment opportunities in the state, Industries Minister M B Patil said. The 158th State Level Single Window Approval Committee meeting approved a total investment of Rs 4,824.31 crore for 37 new industries and 2 additional investment projects across 13 districts, including Vijayapura, Bagalkote, Chitradurga, Kolar, and Ramanagara, the minister's office said in a release on Saturday. "The approved projects in sectors such as IT infrastructure, sugar manufacturing, technical textiles, compressed biogas, aerospace, jewellery production, electronics, software, and five-star hotel construction will generate 14,525 new employment opportunities in the state," the release quoted Patil as saying after the meeting on Friday. Among the projects approved, 22 are major large and medium industrial projects (investment above Rs 50 crore) totaling Rs 3,908.68 cror
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced sweeping reforms in the state's liquor taxation and regulatory framework, including the introduction of a new alcohol-based duty structure, deregulation of price fixation and technology-driven monitoring systems. He set an ambitious revenue target of Rs 45,000 crore from the excise sector for 202627. Presenting the state budget in the Assembly, the chief minister said the government would modernise the state's decades-old excise framework and introduce reforms aimed at improving transparency, compliance and ease of doing business. The chief minister said Karnataka would adopt a globally recognised taxation system that links excise duty to the alcohol content of beverages. "An Alcohol-in-Beverage (AIB) based excise duty structure is globally recognised as the gold standard for alcohol taxation, as it directly targets the alcohol content which is the primary source of negative externalities," he said. This will be introduced
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that usage of social media will be banned for children under the age of 16 and strict action will be taken to prevent drug abuse in schools, colleges and universities. Presenting the state budget for 2026-27, he assured that 15,000 vacant posts of teachers in schools and colleges will be filled next fiscal. "With the objective of preventing adverse effects of increasing mobile usage on children, usage of social media will be banned for children under the age of 16," he said. He announced that a grant of Rs 565 crore will be provided for the construction of new rooms and repair works in government primary, high schools, and Pre-University Colleges, Rs 75 crore for the construction of toilets and Rs 25 crore for the procurement of furniture in schools. A grant of Rs 125 crore will be made for the maintenance of government primary schools, high schools, and Pre-University Colleges. Stressing that schools, colleges and universities