Bengaluru: Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, T B Jayachandra assured the Legislative Council on Wednesday that the state government was committed to providing reservation for local Kannadigas in private companies and industries and the matter would be discussed at the next meeting of the state Cabinet.
"There is no question of going back on our promise which we have made to the people," the minister asserted.
Replying to Capt Ganesh Karnik of the BJP, Mr Jayachandra recalled that the state government had in its 2017-18 budget announced 100 per cent reservation in groups C and D jobs for Kannadigas in private companies and a five per cent quota for the physically challenged.
But the advocate general of the Karnataka High Court, who was consulted in the matter, had advised that providing reservation for Kannadigas in private sector companies was not in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution and violated its Article 16, he revealed.
"The state government can now go ahead with its plan provided it replaces the word "reservation" with "priority," he explained.
He also noted that till recently it was mandatory for private companies/industries, which had been given facilities by the government, to provide reservation for Kannadigas in groups C and D as recommended by the Sarojini Mahishi report.
"The government plans to amend the existing rules to give the recommendations legal backing," he added .
Capt Karnik also urged the state government to implement the recommendations of the Rashtriya Aikyatha Parishat, which were similar to those made by Dr Sarojini Mahishi in her report, as this would clear all road- blocks in providing jobs to Kannadigas.
