CM Shivakumar urges companies to give priority to Kannadigas in hiring

Bengaluru, Nov 5 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has urged private companies to prioritise local talent during recruitment drives, assuring them full government support and protection against moral policing or interference.

Speaking at a CSR-related event here on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said firms looking to hire skilled youngsters can approach the government, which will act as a facilitator.

"Once again, I request you to give importance to local candidates from Karnataka. Otherwise, a lot of issues have been cropping up, but still, we will protect you. We will ensure that no one misuses their office. There will be no moral policing," he said.

Shivakumar reaffirmed his government's commitment to supporting them, and said it was also their responsibility to ensure that local candidates were given priority.

While clarifying that the state government would not meddle in the skill criteria, the CM stressed that companies must give importance to local candidates, as there is a great talent pool here. "You should recruit Kannadigas. We will not allow anyone to misuse their offices or (interfere in) Kannada issues as well," he said.

His remarks come amid a statewide campaign launched by Kannada activist T A Narayana Gowda-led Karnataka Rakshana Vedike to assess employment opportunities for Kannadigas in private companies.

Gowda had on Tuesday said the campaign would continue until November 30, after which a comprehensive report would be submitted to the state government.

The campaign, involving teams visiting IT and other major companies to collect recruitment data, would not be withdrawn despite pressure from the government or police, he said, adding that a delegation would meet Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and seek a time-bound action on implementing job reservations.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)