Private sector quota bill to be taken up in next cabinet meeting to discuss "confusions": CM
Bengaluru, Jul 18: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said his government has decided to withhold the bill mandating job reservation for Kannadigas in private sector due to "certain confusion."
He said the bill will be taken up for discussion in the next cabinet meeting to clear the doubts.
“On Monday, complete discussion (on the topic) could not take place in the cabinet meeting. By then reports had appeared in the media,” he told the Karnataka assembly.
“There was some confusion. We will clear those confusions in the next cabinet meeting. Let's have a detailed discussion.”
The CM was replying to Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka’s demand to clarify the state government’s stand on the bill.
He said the Chief Minister changed his message on ‘X’ thrice.
ALSO READ: Karnataka govt puts bill mandating reservation for Kannadigas in private firms on hold
Ashoka recalled that Siddaramaiah in his first post said that the cabinet has decided 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas in the private sector and then deleted it.
The Chief Minister then posted another message saying that there will be 50 per cent reservation in the management category and 70 per cent in non-management category for Kannadigas.
“Finally, you announced putting the bill on hold. There appears to be a Tughlaq government in Karnataka,” he said.
In his reply, the Chief Minister said, “There is no Tughlaq government, but Siddramaiah government. We will take up the bill in the next cabinet meeting.”
The state cabinet had on Monday cleared the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024', which makes it compulsory for private firms to reserve jobs for Kannadigas.
"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 read.
If the candidates do not possess secondary school certificates with Kannada as a language, they should pass a Kannada proficiency test as specified by the 'Nodal Agency', it added.
The nodal agency will have powers to call for any records information or documents in the possession of an employer or occupier or manager of an establishment for the purpose of verifying the report.
The government may appoint an officer not below the rank of Assistant Labour Commissioner as the authorised officer for the purposes of compliance of the provisions of the Act.
Any Employer or Occupier or Manager of an Establishment, who contravenes the provisions of this Act should be liable for a penalty between Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000.
The move drew flak from the industry.
NASSCOM even cautioned that the companies will move out of Karnataka.
Ministers quickly issued a statement assuring companies that their interest will be protected.
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Man held for killing teacher over Rs 13 lakh loan in Karnataka
Kalaburagi (Karnataka) (PTI): A 27-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly killing a teacher after she repeatedly demanded repayment of a Rs 13 lakh loan that he had taken from her, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, Amar, allegedly attacked the woman with a sharp weapon and later set the body on fire on the Kamalapur-Kalmood road in the district in an attempt to destroy evidence, they said.
Police identified the victim as Jyoti (57), a resident of Kalaburagi city, who was working as a teacher in Bidar district.
The matter came to light after an unidentified female body was found beside the Kamalapur-Kalmood road, they said.
Initially, it was treated as an unidentified body. Based on a complaint from a local resident, a murder case was registered under 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Kamalapur Police Station limits in Kalaburagi district, police said.
The investigation was immediately taken up and her photographs were widely circulated and later, the woman was identified.
During the investigation, police identified Amar, a resident of Kapnoor area, who owns and runs a milk parlour as the accused, Adduru Srinivasulu, Kalaburagi Superintendent of Police told reporters here.
According to him, Amar had borrowed Rs 13 lakh from Jyoti. She had been repeatedly asking him to return the money and had warned that she would lodge a police complaint if he failed to repay the amount. Fearing this, Amar allegedly planned to kill her.
He reportedly took Jyoti towards the Kamalapur-Kalmood road in a vehicle on April 4. On the way, he stopped the vehicle saying that water needed to be poured into the engine. "When she got down, he allegedly threw chilli powder on her face and attacked her with a sharp weapon. After the murder, he allegedly poured fuel on the body and set it on fire before fleeing the scene," the officer said.
Based on the accused's statement, police recorded his confession, collected evidence in the case, arrested him and produced him before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody, he added.
