Bengaluru: The Siddaramaiah government has temporarily frozen the bill to ensure job reservation for locals in the private sector in Karnataka. The bill was frozen amid protests from the IT sector. The government has clarified that a final decision on the matter will be taken after conducting further tests.
Following the criticism, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s post announcing that the government had approved the bill was deleted from social media X. The cabinet meeting held on Monday had paved the way for fierce opposition from the industrial sector.
The Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories, and Other Establishments Bill 2024 is likely to be introduced in the current session of the Legislative Assembly. Along with Kannadigas, local people born and brought up in the state and who know how to read and write Kannada will also get the benefit. They should be residing in Karnataka for at least 15 years. Applicants must have passed 10th class examination with Kannada as a subject. Or pass the Kannada skill test conducted by the nodal agency notified by the government. If there are not enough locals as applicants, the institution must apply to the government to relax the rule. The bill also provides for a fine of Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 for those who violate the law.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the government’s effort is to ensure more opportunities for Kannadigas. However, State Industries Minister Priyank Kharge requested the Chief Minister that the provisions of the bill should be finalized and implemented only after discussing with industry experts and other departments. Kharge said that besides attracting investment, the government also aims to provide employment to the locals. At the same time, the business world raised concerns over Kannada reservation. Bicon Executive Chairperson Kiran Majumdar Shaw responded that this move should not affect the progress of the state as a tech hub. Former Infosys executive Mohandas Pai called the bill unconstitutional and discriminatory. He said that this is a fascist bill. Assocham stated that this is a narrow-minded bill and it can only run the business world. Earlier, the Haryana government had passed a bill to provide 75 percent reservation for locals in the private sector. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court declared it unconstitutional and quashed it.
