Bengaluru, June 27 -- The Karnataka government on Thursday rolled back its earlier plan to double the excise licence renewal fees and instead increased it by 50%, following intense opposition from liquor sellers. The move, effective July 1, comes after several representatives, including the Karnataka Liquor Sellers' Association members, met chief minister Siddaramaiah and urged the government to reconsider the hike. On May 15, a draft notification proposing a 100% increase sparked backlash from stakeholders. The state has also extended the validity of excise licences from one year to five, providing relief to over 13,000 licence holders across the state. "We had to consider everyone's views, so the CM and I agreed to lower hike to 50%," said excise minister RB Timmapur, adding that the earlier proposal aimed at boosting state revenue by Rs.600-700 crore annually. As per notification, license fees for hotels and bars in major cities like Bengaluru were increased to Rs.12.75 lakh per annum from the earlier Rs. 8.5 lakh.htc...