Karnataka govt halts Bill mandating private firm quotas for Kannadigas: CMO

The Bill mandates firms in the state to prioritise local hires for 70% of non-management roles and 50% of management-level jobs

The Bill approved by the Karnataka state cabinet, on Monday, to provide reservation for Kannadigas in private sector organisations, industries and enterprises has been temporarily put on hold, the chief minister's office said on Wednesday.

The 'X' post, originally in Kannada, says, "The Bill intended to implement reservation for Kannadigas in private sector institutions, industries and enterprises is still in the preparation stage. A final decision will be taken after comprehensive discussion in the next cabinet meeting."

ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರಿಗೆ ಖಾಸಗಿ ವಲಯದ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಗಳು, ಕೈಗಾರಿಕೆಗಳು ಹಾಗೂ ಉದ್ದಿಮೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮೀಸಲಾತಿ ಕಲ್ಪಿಸುವ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಜಾರಿಗೆ ತರಲು ಉದ್ದೇಶಿಸಿದ್ದ ವಿಧೇಯಕವು ಇನ್ನೂ ಸಿದ್ಧತೆಯ ಹಂತದಲ್ಲಿದೆ.

ಮುಂದಿನ ಸಚಿವ ಸಂಪುಟ ಸಭೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಮಗ್ರವಾಗಿ ಚರ್ಚಿಸಿ ಅಂತಿಮ ನಿರ್ಣಯ ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳಲಾಗುವುದು.

— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) July 17, 2024

The quota announcement was made by CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday evening. 

Commerce and Industries Minister MB Patil also took to 'X' to announce the decision and said, "Industry leaders needn’t panic as assured."

"Bill is withheld until further consultations and due diligence. The government is committed to further creation of jobs, and furthermore for Kannadigas, however in a more amicable manner," he added.

The Bill mandates firms in the state to prioritise local hires for 70 per cent of non-management roles and 50 per cent of management-level jobs.

The Bill announcement triggered concerns among industry leaders like Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and the opposition, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The industry leaders said the Bill would negaively impact sectors such as IT.