Prioritise locals in jobs, no moral policing, says DK Shivakumar

Bengaluru: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has urged private companies in Karnataka to ensure a fair share of employment for local candidates, saying that talented Kannadigas must get priority in recruitment without compromising merit-based selection.

Addressing concerns over alleged discrimination against Kannadigas in private sector employment, particularly in information technology (IT) and biotech companies, Shivakumar said the state government wanted to resolve the issues through constructive engagement with employers.

“There are plenty of talented Kannadigas in Karnataka. They must get the opportunities they deserve. I once again appeal to companies to ensure fair employment opportunities for local people,” he said.

‘Will not allow anyone to take law into their hands’

The Chief Minister said the government would support Kannadigas seeking legitimate employment opportunities but would not allow anyone to take the law into their hands.

He warned that threats, moral policing and misuse of positions under the pretext of protecting Kannada would not be tolerated.

While assuring that the government would not interfere in skill-based recruitment, Shivakumar said companies could not ignore their responsibility towards the local workforce.

CM warns against exploiting Kannada cause

He also cautioned individuals and organisations against using the Kannada issue to serve vested interests, stressing that the language and the cause of local employment should not become tools for personal gains.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike has intensified its campaign to gather employment data from IT and BT companies across the state.

The organisation said it had approached more than 300 companies in the past three days and submitted representations demanding details of the number of Kannadigas employed by them.

The campaign has entered its fourth day and is scheduled to continue until November 30. The organisation will consolidate the information collected from companies and submit a report to the Chief Minister in the first week of December.

The proposed report is expected to provide company-wise figures on the employment of Kannadigas in the IT and BT sectors.

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