Bill for taxing temples blocked in K'taka Council

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: The Opposition MLCs on Friday blocked the Karnataka government’s Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, which had already cleared the Assembly hurdle.

The BJP was of the view that the ruling Congress was looking to unfairly tax more than 34,000 temples that come under the Muzrai Department.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has hit out against the saffron party for “spreading false information”, pointing out that former CM Basavaraj Bommai had introduced a Bill with even steeper taxes.

Congress, which has a simple majority in the Assembly, has only 29 members in the 75-member Council while the BJP has 36 MLCs and its aly, the JD(S) haseight.

Therefore, the ruling party is dependent on Opposition lawmakers to pass Bills in the Council.

The Bill suggests 10 per cent of the revenue from Hindu temples whose annual income exceeds Rs 1 crore be extracted for a common pool of funds.