Karnataka to mandate display of state flag at private firms amid local jobs row

Bengaluru: Karnataka will make it mandatory for private companies to hoist the state's bi-colour flag on their premises, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said on Sunday, amid a row over employment for Kannadigas in the IT/BT firms.

The government is likely to issue an order this month, Shivakumar said after launching the Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations in Bengaluru. The move comes as the state faces renewed complaints of bias against locals in hiring by IT and other private companies.

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Pro-Kannada outfit Kannada Rakshana Vedike (KRV), meanwhile, announced a statewide drive to collect data on the number of Kannadigas employed by private technology and manufacturing companies.

The KRV said its teams would visit companies this month seeking details of local employment. The organisation warned that it would stage protests outside firms that refuse to share the information.

"We are not asking for a share in companies' profits. We only want them to respect the right of Kannadigas to employment," KRV state president TA Narayana Gowda said.

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The developments come days after Shivakumar urged pro-Kannada organisations not to take matters into their own hands or create problems for IT companies. The issue gained traction after a social media video alleging discrimination against Kannadigas in recruitment went viral.

The CM had earlier said complaints of discriminatory hiring would be examined directly by the state government and action taken against companies found violating norms.

The controversy has once again brought the focus back on local employment in the private sector. Last year, the Karnataka government shelved a proposed law mandating reservations for locals in private-sector jobs after facing strong opposition from the technology industry and industry body Nasscom.