Representative image.

BENGALURU: From now on, Private industries and factories in Karnataka must accord priority to Kannadigas in recruitments to their clerical and shop floor jobs.

The state government on Saturday issued a notification revising rules governing recruitments in industries under the Karnataka Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Rules 1961 directing companies to give priority to Kannadigas in private sector jobs .

"We will soon come out with a legislation mentioning the exact quantum of reservation that companies should provide for Kannadigas in jobs,’’ said labout minister S Suresh Kumar . The neighbouring Andhra Pradesh recently passed a legislation that made it mandatory for existing and upcoming industries in the state to reserve 75 per cent jobs for local people, despite the 50 per cent cap on reservations prescribed by the Supreme Court. Karnataka is expected to follow suit.

As per the new rules, those residing in Karnataka for not less than 15 years and who can write, read, talk and understand Kannada are eligible to be recruited by private industries and factories for their clerical and shop floor jobs.

But it also comes with a rider: the candidates must also possess required qualification, efficiency and experience.

The amended rules are applicable to all industries and companies including those which do not take any kind of sops and concessions from the government. The revised rules also empower the state to intervene if private companies fail to implement the rules in letter and spirit.

Hundred per cent reservation in jobs in certain categories has been a contentious issue in Karnataka since a committee headed by Sarojini Mahishi, a former Union minister, was set up to recommend employment opportunities for Kannadigas in 1984. In its 1986 report, the Mahishi committee had recommended the majority of the jobs in all sectors for Kannadigas. But successive governments failed to implement the recommendation.

The call for reservation got louder when Siddaramaiah became chief minister in 2013. Siddaramaiah proposed 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas but couldn’t implement it. The previous JDS-Congress coalition government also failed after questions were raised whether the rule violates Article 19 of the Constitution, the recommendations was not enforced and jobs for Kannadigas were only made a priority.

The notification issued by the current government said they were forced to bring in amendments for two reasons: One, due to growing demand from Kannadigas for reservation in private firms. Second, due to increasing incidents of non-Kannadigas becoming victims of accidents in industries. ``A close look at accidents in industries and factories in the last 10 years has revealed that 72 percent of victims are non-Kannadigas. This is mainly because of their inability to communicate in Kannada. Knowing local language will help in taking quick actions,” the notification said.

According to the Sarojini Mahishi Committee report, a Kannadiga is not just someone who has lived in the state for 15 years, but who can speak, read, and write Kannada ‘reasonably well’.

