Karnataka Industries Employ 86 Per Cent Kannadigas, Data Reveals Amid Controversy Over Local Reservation In Private Jobs

Amid the controversy that erupted due to Karnataka's Congress government's proposal of bringing a law for reserving private jobs for locals, new data has come to light showing Kannadiags already occupy maximum positions.

As per the latest government data, a higher proportion of Kannadigas are found in senior management (Group A) positions, with the percentage of local employees increasing progressively through job categories such as Groups B, C, and D.

Groups B, C, and D include supervisory, clerical, and routine roles respectively. The data covers 1,659 medium and large industries, 87 multinational companies in the manufacturing sector, and 46 public enterprises.

Collectively, these entities employ 8.06 lakh people, with 6.96 lakh (86 per cent) being local residents, according to data from the Department of Commerce.

"As and when industries get the right local people, they are appointed without us having to ask," Industries Minister M B Patil told Deccan Herald and urged industries to hire more locals without taking any incentives from the government. 

Currently, the state policy mandates that any industry receiving government incentives must employ Kannadigas in all Group C and D positions and ensure that they constitute 70 per cent of the total workforce.

The Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government had earlier proposed to bring a law to reserve 50 per cent positions in management and 70 per cent positions in non-management jobs for the Kannadigas. However, after protests, the Bill has been put in cold storage.