The Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government on Wednesday put on hold the controversial bill mandating reservations for Kannadigas in the private sector.
“The draft bill intended to provide reservations for Kannadigas in private sector companies, industries, and enterprises is still in the preparation stage. A comprehensive discussion will be held in the next cabinet meeting to make a final decision,” chief minister Siddaramaiah said in a post on X.
"The bill approved by the Cabinet to provide reservation for Kannadigas in private sector organisations, industries and enterprises has been temporarily put on hold. This will be revisited and decided in the coming days," PTI quoted a statement issued by the chief minister's office.
"Any industry, factory or other establishments shall appoint fifty per cent of local candidates in management categories and seventy per cent in non-management categories," the bill had read, sparking outrage.
The Karnataka government came under fire over the legislation on the quota for Kannadigas. The industry giants called the bill a “regressive move showing shortsightedness.”
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Siddaramaiah had deleted an X post on 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas, in which he had said,"The Cabinet meeting held yesterday approved a bill to make recruitment of 100 per cent Kannadigas mandatory for "C and D" grade posts in all private industries in the state."
“As a tech hub we need skilled talent and whilst the aim is to provide jobs for locals we must not affect our leading position in technology by this move. There must be caveats that exempt highly skilled recruitment from this policy,” Biocon managing director Kiran Mazumdar Shaw had said.
As the backlash over the bill intensified, Karnataka minister MB Patil had said that he will discuss the issue with the CM, IT-BT minister, law minister, and labour Minister.
“We will have wider consultations. We will ensure that the interests of Kannadigas are protected, alongside those of the industries,” he had said.
(With PTI inputs)