Chief Minister D K Shivakumar promised businesses protection from harassment while requesting they hire local talent.
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday requested multinational companies (MNCs) to give preference to Kannadigas during recruitment. Speaking at a corporate social responsibility event at the Vidhan Soudha in Bengaluru, the Chief Minister said the state has a strong talent pool and urged firms to hire local candidates without compromising on skill requirements.
According to reports by The Tribune and Deccan Herald, Shivakumar assured businesses that his government would prevent harassment and moral policing. He stated that the government would not interfere with the hiring of skilled employees but insisted that local residents must be given due importance.
The Chief Minister added that companies looking to recruit skilled youth could approach the government to act as a facilitator. He promised that the administration would not allow anyone to misuse their authority to target businesses or interfere in Kannada issues.
The appeal follows a campaign by the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) to assess local hiring. KRV President T A Narayana Gowda said the group would continue its campaign through November to collect employment data from IT-BT and manufacturing firms. Gowda claimed that Kannadigas currently make up only 20-23 per cent of the workforce at IT companies in Bengaluru.
The KRV has sought recruitment data from the last three years and details on hiring criteria. The organisation stated it would submit a report to the state government after the campaign and plans to meet the Chief Minister to discuss job reservations.
