Govt. hits back: Demands quota for locals

Provide employment, IT firms told
Sindhia demands Kannadiga quota
Deccan Herald

The Government of Karnataka hits back after this year’s boycott of Bangalore’s showcase technology event.

Karnataka Finance and Industries Minister P G R Sindhia has given a new twist to the tech companies’ boycott of this year’s BangaloreIT.In. “Let the IT companies know that it is equally important to provide employment to Kannadigas in their firms — while they raise a hue and cry over infrastructure,” Mr Sindhia said on Monday.

“The government has issued notices to 167 companies, including software firms, asking them to give reasons as to why they have not provided reservation in jobs to Kannadigas by implementing the Sarojini Mahishi Committee Report though the government has extended them certain benefits,” the minister told a press conference in Bangalore on Monday.

Sources say a majority of the IT companies have not replied to the notices as implementation of the Sarojini Mahishi Committee Report is not legally binding at present. Providing jobs to Kannadigas on a preferential basis is, at least for now, only social obligation. A Cabinet sub-committee headed by the chief minister has been formed to provide more teeth to the government to make the recommendation legally binding.

‘Read newspapers’

Claiming that the coalition government had sanctioned infrastructure projects worth Rs 6,000 crore in and around Bangalore within a span of 14 months, Mr Sindhia said: “As industries minister I am unable to understand the reason for the IT companies’ decision to boycott the IT event. They hail our achievements on all public platforms. But now they have decided to boycott the IT event citing lack of infrastructure.”

With thinly veiled sarcasm, he asked the heads of IT companies charging the government with apathy on infrastructure development to read both Kannada and English newspapers to know what the government has done regarding Bangalore’s infrastructure. “All the infrastructure projects taken up by us have been reported in the media. I think the IT company chiefs know both English and Kannada,” he added.

“If they say that five-star hotels are charging more for their services and there is less availability of rooms in those hotels, what can I do?” Mr Sindhia asked. “Of course, I too admit that there is congestion on Bangalore’s roads with ever increasing traffic and there is some delay in completion of the fly-overs. (But) we have cleared massive investments to the tune of Rs 62,000 crore, which again is a record,” he said.

“But we did not organise any global investors’ meet to glorify our achievements,” he said in an obvious reference to the global investors’ meet held during the regime of former chief minister S M Krishna.

However, when asked if any vested interests were behind the IT companies’ decision to boycott the event, Mr Sindhia replied in the negative and said he was not for confrontation with IT companies.

He said Chief Minister N Dharam Singh has convened a meeting of representatives of IT companies to resolve the issue.

The Bangalore Chamber of Commerce and Industry – which has about 135 IT companies as members – has decided to boycott BangaloreIT.In, that will be held in November, alleging that the government is showing apathy towards infrastructure development in Bangalore.

Cooperation sought

At the same time, Mr Sindhia appealed to the IT companies to cooperate with the government. He also said a team of officials from Karnataka would meet World Bank officials at the bank headquarters on September 26 and 27 to get a Rs 1,400 crore loan to improve infrastructure in and around Bangalore.



ALL FOR BANGALORE

n Bangalore IT bigwigs maintain that they are justified in boycotting IT.In and are just demanding their rights, as their contribution to state exchequer is highly significant.

n The Karnataka High Court on Monday said it would constitute a 3-member panel to supervise and monitor the on-going road works taken up by BMP.