Bengaluru’s New Financial Year Brings Higher Costs For Daily Items And Services
From April 1, the residents of Bengaluru will have to shell out more money for essential items and services.
Bengaluru is once again in the spotlight due to concerns over its growing cost of living. As the new financial year gets underway, the residents of India’s IT hub will have to shell out more money for essential items and services, including milk, electricity, toll fees and the new garbage tax.
While the Karnataka capital has remained one of the priciest cities in the country, these new price hikes for daily items and services will only add pressure on its residents’ wallets.
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Milk and curd – The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) has raised the prices of Nandini products. Starting today, there will be an increase of Rs 4 per litre on all types of milk and curd offered by the brand.
Water – The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has decided to raise water prices for the first time since 2014. The increase will be one paisa per litre. As a result, household water bills in the city could go up by Rs 400 to Rs 500 every month.
Metro and BMTC – In February, the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) raised Metro fares, from Rs 60 to Rs 90. The minimum balance on smart cards was raised from Rs 50 to Rs 90.
Earlier in January, the Karnataka government approved a 15% fare hike for state transport buses. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) also raised the price of a daily pass from Rs 80 to Rs 90 and the monthly pass will now cost Rs 1200.
Electricity – While the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) recently reduced energy charges by 10 paise per unit, it also introduced a 36 paise surcharge per unit to cover employee payments. This surcharge is adding extra pressure on industries and commercial businesses, which is set to appear from the May billing cycle.
Toll fees – Motorists in Karnataka will face higher toll charges as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) decided to revise their costs. Key routes like the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway and the Sadahalli toll plaza (NH 7) will see a rise in fees. This will depend on the location and the minimum hike will be Rs 5. This change will affect drivers using these important highways on a regular basis.
Garbage tax – Bengaluru residents will now have to pay a new garbage tax as decided by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The tax amount will depend on the size of the property. For homes up to 600 square feet, the fee will be Rs 10 per month. If the property size is between 600 and 1000 square feet, they’ll have to pay Rs 50 per month.
For properties between 1000 and 2000 square feet, it will be Rs 100 per month and for homes between 2000 and 3000 square feet, the charge will be Rs 150 per month. Larger properties, over 4000 square feet, will have a monthly fee of Rs 400.
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