Karnataka Cabinet Approves Bill Requiring Industries To Hire 75 Per Cent Local Candidates In Non-Management Positions

The Karnataka cabinet has approved a bill requiring industries, factories, and other establishments to appoint local candidates to 50 per cent of management positions and 75 per cent of non-management positions.

The Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories, and Other Establishments Bill, 2024, was given green light during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on 15 July, as per a report by The Hindu.

According to the act, a local candidate is a person "who is born in the state of Karnataka, domiciled in the state for at least 15 years, capable of speaking, reading, and writing Kannada legibly, and has passed a required test conducted by the nodal agency."

"If a sufficient number of local candidates are not available, industries, factories, or other establishments may apply for relaxation from the provisions of this act to the government. After due inquiry, the government may issue appropriate orders, and such orders will be final," according to the bill.

The defaulting companies may find themselves facing penalties ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000.

The bill is expected to be presented in the ongoing legislative session. This bill comes in backdrop of Kannada organisations holding rallies in parts of Karnataka demanding the immediate implementation of the Sarojini Mahishi report.

Former union minister and the first woman MP from Karnataka, Sarojini Mahishi, who chaired the Mahishi Committee had submitted this report in 1984, which recommended reservations for locals in government and private sector jobs.