Labour minister Santosh Lad
The original draft proposed reserving 50% of managerial positions and 70% of non-managerial jobs for local candidates. However, his cabinet colleague and IT-BT minister Priyank Kharge, said: “We introduced Nipuna, which is an industry-developed scheme to upskill and reskill people.
Labour department officials said the revised approach to The Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in Industries, Factories, and Other Establishments Bill, 2024, would seek “first preference” for Kannadigas. It will also help us track companies’ employment records,” said a department official. “There is an absolute lack of political will and bureaucratic support for the bill,” say sources close to labour minister Santosh Lad. “In a city like Bengaluru, every person knows at least three languages and Kannada-speaking aspirants are rarely discriminated against purely on linguistic lines,” said officials. Labour minister Santosh Lad said: “We are currently discussing nuances of the bill, and we will soon speak to the CM to consider it.
The move follows chief minister DK Shivakumar ’s warning to IT companies over alleged bias against Kannadigas. “The revised definition will help circumvent legal scrutiny since mandatory reservation would encroach on the right to equality and right to work of people from other states. “The bureaucracy especially has vehemently opposed legislation as it reduces opportunities for their linguistic communities. It is primarily meant for Kannadigas. We want them to be well-equipped to secure jobs on merit, which is the primary principle on which companies employ people.”
However, the proposed legislation is likely to face hurdles in securing cabinet approval, given earlier differences between departments.