From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, May 29: Beware! If your wedding budget exceeds Rs 5 lakh and the attendance of guests and invitees crosses 1,000, the Siddaramaiah regime is planning to add luxury tax burden on such weddings.
This is a move presently under contemplation of the Congress government in Karnataka.
''Our intention is to curb wasteful expenditure and check extravagant weddings,” said Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra.
Speaking to reporters in Bangalore on Thursday, the minister said the State Government is contemplating levy of a new luxury tax on a slab basis on weddings, in which the expenses exceeded Rs 5 lakh and attendance of guests and invitees crossed the 1000 mark.
The amount collected in the form of tax would be pooled into the Marriage Fund to fund marriages in poor families or holding mass marriages, he said.
The Minister said registration of marriages would also be made mandatory.
The rich, affluent and even middle class families in cities have been lavishly spending on marriages of their sons and daughters.
To exhibit their wealth, the families invite thousands of people to the marriage and hold function in expensive air-conditioned halls, he said.
''I recently received a marriage invitation costing more than Rs 7,000,” he said.
''If these people can afford to spend so much money, then they should be prepared to shell out money for helping the poorer sections at least to arrange a modest and decent wedding of their wards.
In the background of a recent debate in the legislative assembly and encourage holding simple and inter-caste marriages, the State Government was planning to collect luxury tax from families conduct marriages spending more than Rs 5 lakh and on those inviting more than 1000 people for the function.
Slabs for different rate of taxes would be decided after discussion of the proposed Bill in the State legislature, he said.
The Karnataka Marriages (Regulation and Miscellaneous Provisions Act), 1976, would be amended to levy luxury tax on marriages.
Marriage tax officers would be appointed to monitor luxury marriage and collect taxes from parties and persons celebrating such marriage, he said.