Karnataka minister urges MSMEs to pay dignified wages to retain workers
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister Sharan Prakash Patil on Friday urged industries, particularly MSMEs, to pay workers wages that ensure a dignified life in Bengaluru.
Inaugurating the MSME and Employment Opportunities Conclave organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Patil expressed concern over low pay in the sector, saying it was causing high attrition despite the availability of skilled manpower.
"I have come across several cases where skilled and qualified employees from tier-two and tier-three regions of Karnataka quit their jobs here and return to their native places due to meagre salaries. How can a person from Kalaburagi survive here on a monthly salary of just Rs 20,000?" he asked.
The issue arose during an interaction session when several MSME industrialists flagged a shortage of skilled workers and said existing employees were leaving to join larger industries.
The state minister for medical education and skill development noted that MSMEs are the largest employment generators in Karnataka and across the country, but said talent retention remains a major challenge due to low wages.
"I am not asking MSMEs to match salaries offered by the tech sector, but employees must be paid decently in accordance with their skills and talent to live with dignity in Bengaluru," he said.
Acknowledging that industries need workers with diverse skill sets, the minister assured the industry body that his department would organise sector-specific job fairs to meet the needs of MSMEs.
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Health Department launches leprosy awareness campaign in Dakshina Kannada, district reports 47 cases
Mangaluru: The Health Department launched on Friday the Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign, to promote early detection and treatment to the disease and also to educate people in the district about leprosy.
The campaign, which is a nationwide initiative, will continue till February 13.
According to a report by Deccan Herald, District Health Officer Dr. HR Thimmaiah has said that 47 cases of leprosy were reported in Dakshina Kannada till December in 2025-26.
He has stressed on the need for early detection and treatment of the disease as it would prevent complications prior to detection. He also stressed on creating awareness, increasing community participation in cases of early detection. “People should not neglect white or brown patches without sensation on their skin,” the DHO advised.
Dr. Thimmaiah added that people diagnosed positive would be treated with free Leprosy Multidrug Therapy (MDT). “The government also provides Disability Prevention and Medical Rehabilitation (DPMR), splints, self-care kits, multicellular rubber footwear, and reconstructive surgery to patients. People can log on to sanjeevani.opd or esanjeevani.in for free teleconsultation if they come across any symptoms of the disease,” he added.
Referring to social stigma attached to leprosy, the DHO called it a challenge and said that the Department had planned awareness programmes in rural areas in collaboration with gram panchayats to ensure that there is no discrimination of patients. “ASHA workers and staff from other departments will be trained to create awareness among the people to overcome social stigma. A door-to-door campaign will be conducted. In addition, officials will visit educational institutions to create awareness among students,” he said.
Speaking about the leprosy cases in Dakshina Kannada, Dr. Thimmaiah said that the 47 cases were reported between April and December, with 42 being diagnosed as multibacillary (MB) leprosy and five as paucibacillary leprosy. One child too has been detected with leprosy during the year, he added.
He said that the district reported 29 cases in 2020-21, 39 in 2021-22, 75 in 2022-23, 62 in 2023-24, and 43 in 2024-25. The number of cases was higher in 2022-23 as patients were not able to visit hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic in the previous years, the DHO informed.
