Bengaluru: The labour department is making a fresh push for legislation favouring Kannadigas in private-sector hiring, this time proposing “priority” for local candidates instead of mandatory quotas.The move follows chief minister DK Shivakumar’s warning to IT companies over alleged bias against Kannadigas. However, the proposed legislation is likely to face hurdles in securing cabinet approval, given earlier differences between departments.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. The original draft proposed reserving 50% of managerial positions and 70% of non-managerial jobs for local candidates.“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. It will also help us track companies’ employment records,” said a department official.If passed by the legislature, the bill will empower the labour department to obtain employment records from private companies and track the number of Kannadigas hired in the state. However, since 2015-16, the labour department has failed thrice to secure concurrence from IT-BT and industries departments.“There is an absolute lack of political will and bureaucratic support for the bill,” say sources close to labour minister Santosh Lad. “The bureaucracy especially has vehemently opposed legislation as it reduces opportunities for their linguistic communities.”IT-BT department officials dismissed the need for such a measure, arguing that linguistic discrimination was not an established problem in the private sector.“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.The department also pointed out that govt has not received complaints on a scale warranting legislation mandating reservation. Officials warned that reservation based on domicile or language could trigger similar protectionist measures in other states where Kannadigas work.Officials also questioned the CM’s intervention, arguing that his “emotional” messaging had subjected govt to unnecessary scrutiny. Sources also point out that courts had struck down legislation in Haryana and Andhra Pradesh that mandated 75% reservation for locals.“We will wait for the precise wording of the labour department’s proposed bill,” said IT-BT 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.”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. 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.”Deputy CM, G Parameshwara took a more nuanced stand, saying: “Govt provides industries with several facilities, including land, electricity, and water. In return, industries must provide employment to locals. We are not asking them to employ those who are unqualified. Our stand is that Kannadigas who possess required educational qualifications and skills must be provided jobs commensurate with merit and capabilities.”
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