BENGALURU (Aryavarth): The Karnataka cabinet has approved a bill mandating 100 percent reservation for Kannadigas in the private sector for Group C and D posts, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said.
The decision was taken at the cabinet meeting held on Monday.
“The Cabinet meeting held yesterday (Monday) approved a bill to make recruitment of 100 percent Kannadigas mandatory for ‘C and D’ grade posts in all private industries in the state,” Siddaramaiah said in a post on X.
“We are a pro-Kannada government. Our priority is to look after the welfare of the Kannadigas,” he said.
According to sources in the law department, the ‘Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories, and Other Establishments Bill, 2024’ will be tabled on Thursday in the Assembly.
On the appointment of ‘Local Candidates”, the bill says, “Any industry, factory, or other establishment shall appoint fifty percent of local candidates in management categories and seventy percent in non-management categories.”
If the candidates do not possess a secondary school certificate with Kannada as a language, they must pass a Kannada proficiency test as specified by the ‘Nodal Agency’, it says.
If the qualified local candidates are not available, the establishments within three years, with the active collaboration of the government or its agencies, should take steps to train them, it says.
If a sufficient number of local candidates are not available, then an establishment may apply for relaxation of the provisions of this Act to the government.
“Such orders passed by the government shall be final. Provided that, the relaxation provided under this section shall not be less than 25 percent for the management category and 50 percent for the non-management category,” the proposed bill says.
Every industry, factory, or other establishment should inform the nodal agency about the compliance of the provisions of this Act in such form and within such period as may be prescribed, a copy of the bill read.
The role of the nodal agency will be to verify the reports furnished by an employer, occupier, or manager of an establishment and submit a report to the government indicating the implementation of the provisions of this Act.
The nodal agency will have the power to call for any records, information, or documents in the possession of an employer, occupier, or manager of an establishment for the purpose of verifying the report.
The government may appoint an officer not below the rank of Assistant Labour Commissioner as the authorised officer for the purpose of compliance with the provisions of the Act.
Any employer, occupier, or manager of an establishment who contravenes the provisions of this Act should be liable for a penalty ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000.
“If the contravention continues after a penalty has been imposed, then, with a further penalty that may extend to one hundred rupees for each day till the time the contravention continues,” the proposed bill says.