Bommai has assured to incentivise hiring Kannadigas, says Pai

There are also clauses which threaten to take back concessions given to industries and also penalty amounts for repeated violations for not giving opportunities to locals.

Chairman of Aarian Capital and former chief financial officer at Infosys Mohandas Pai who met chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said that the latter has assured to consider suggestions to “incentivise hiring Kannadigas by industries rather than penalise them”.

Mohandas Pai (PTI)

The meeting comes in the backdrop of the Basavaraj Bommai-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government tabling the “Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Act 2022” in the legislative assembly on Friday which is intended to provide better opportunities in education and employment to Kannadigas.

There are also clauses which threaten to take back concessions given to industries and also penalty amounts for repeated violations for not giving opportunities to locals.

“I recommended that you give an incentive to people for hiring Kannadigas. That means if I buy some land from the state for industry, for every person you hire who is a Kannadiga, give x rupees off the price. This will be an incentive for people and that will be much better (rather) than penalising them,” Pai said.

“That is what every state should do. You should always incentivise... for local employment... why put up a diktat? Nobody wants to get people from outside all the time, they want to hire locally, because they are part of the community . So he (Bommai) said he will look at it,” he said.

Earlier, Pai had raised apprehensions that such an act would be discriminatory as all citizens pay taxes.

“No private industry, establishment or institution shall be eligible for concession of land or any other concession of tax rebate or deferment of tax or any kind of grant-in aid unless such industry, establishment or institution provides not less than such percentage of reservation as per the industrial policy notified by the state government,” the bill states.

It adds that those who fail to comply with the provisions of the industrial policy shall be liable for disentitlement of continuation of benefits namely concessions and tax rebates or deferment or any kind of grant-in aid in future and shall also be liable for recovery of the same. “Such disentitlement shall be invoked only after giving an opportunity to the said industry,” according to the bill.

There is also a penalty that ranges from ₹5,000 for the first offence or violations of its provisions, ₹10,000 for the second offence and ₹20,000 for subsequent offences that will also make them liable for cancellation of licence, HT had reported.

Pai said he also discussed issues pertaining to Bengaluru and its infrastructure with Bommai.

“We discussed issues on Bengaluru. The CM has done a lot of reforms. He has decentralised civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, allocated money and he has told them to demolish all illegal constructions, clean up the drains and the city. So, he has done a lot of work,” he said.

“Eminent IT Industry Veteran, Padma Shree Awardee Shri @TVMohandasPai called on Chief Minister @BSBommai today and held discussions on various issues and thanked the CM for the initiative taken to improve Bangaluru infrastructure,” Bommai’s office tweeted.