Local quota bill to be tabled after Cabinet clears confusion: CM

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024 had been put on hold because of “some confusion”, adding that the proposed law would be discussed in the next Cabinet meeting and a decision would be taken on the same.

The Bill mandates a quota for “locals” in the private sector. These locals are defined as persons who possess a Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) with Kannada as a subject.

In lieu of this, persons who’ve lived in Karnataka for more than 15 years can take a proficiency test under a nodal agency proving they can read and write in Kannada.

Siddaramaiah made the remarks in the Assembly at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Thursday. The CM was responding to Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the Assembly R Ashoka who claimed in the House that Siddaramaiah had changed his stand thrice.

The BJP MLA was referring to the fact that a day prior, the CM posted on the social media site X (previously Twitter) that there would be “100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas” but deleted it.

The second time, Siddaramaiah posted that under the Bill, there would be a 50 per cent quota for Kannadigas in management jobs and 70 per cent in the non-management sector.

“In the end, you announced that the Bill is on hold. There appears to be a Tughlaq government in the state,” Ashoka said, referring to 14th century Delhi sultan Mohammad Bin Tughlaq, who had a reputation for being eccentric.

No flip-flop: CM

Siddaramaiah denied that there was indecision.

“Respected Speaker, there is no Mohammad Bin Tughlaq administration here. Siddaramaiah government rules in Karnataka. In the Cabinet meeting this past Monday, there was an incomplete discussion (on the Bill). We couldn’t make a complete decision.

However, reports appeared in the papers. Thereafter, I said let us discuss it again thoroughly, and then we can make a decision. Therefore, some confusion has arisen. Once these confusions are sorted out, we will take a decision in the next Cabinet meeting,” the CM said.

Earlier, Siddaramaiah said the Bill had been cleared. However, the announcement was met by an immediate backlash by industry leaders including Manipal Global Education (MGE) Chairman Mohandas Pai and pharmaceutical giant Biocon Managing Director Kiran Mazumdar Shaw.

They said that if the law was passed, scarcity of local skilled talent would force companies to relocate from Karnataka. The CM then said that the Bill was in fact in the “preparation stage”.

No black spot on me in 40 years: Siddu

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claimed that in his 40 years in public life, he didn’t have a single black spot on him. He was replying to claims of corruption directed at him by BJP MLA Dr CN Ashwath Narayan in relation to the alleged scam in Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited.

“Are you accusing me of corruption? It has been 40 years since I became the Chief Minister (first). There has not been any black spot on me in forty years. You are speaking lies,” Siddaramaiah said.

The back-and-forth began when during his defence, the CM said that the BJP was against social justice.

Narayan took offence to this and claimed it was in fact the Congress that was against social justice and followed it up with chants of “pay CM”. Siddaramaiah responded by calling Narayan the ‘Pitamah’ of corruption.