Team News Riveting
Visakhapatnam, July 18
Amidst corporate sector expressing displeasure over reservation for local people in industries that has resulted in a political turmoil, Andhra Pradesh Thursday swung into action to reap the benefits.
The Information Technology (IT) and Electronics Minister in Andhra Pradesh, Nara Lokesh has invited investors to relocate their businesses. Nara Lokesh on took to X to invite investors after the apex body of the IT sector, NASSCOM, voiced its disappointment and expressed concern over the passage of the Karnataka State Employment of Local Industries Factories Establishment Act Bill, 2024. “We understand your disappointment. We welcome you to expand or relocate your businesses to our IT, IT services, AI, and data centre cluster at Vizag,” posted Lokesh, who is the son of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
Earlier, trade body NASSCOM had expressed disappointment over the Bill passed by the Karnataka Cabinet to reserve jobs for locals in private industries. It stated that restrictions could force companies to relocate as local skilled talent becomes scarce.
The Karnataka Cabinet on Tuesday (July 16) approved a draft legislation setting aside 50 per cent of managerial roles and 75 per cent of non-managerial roles for local candidates in industries, factories, and other commercial establishments. However, facing a severe backlash, the Congress government in Karnataka on Wednesday (July 17) decided to put the bill on hold.
The Congress government in Karnataka has however swung into action to compensate the loss. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told the Assembly on Thursday that his government had put on hold a Bill reserving jobs for Kannadigas in the private sector due to “some confusion”.
The statement of Siddaramaiah came after Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka asked the government to clarify on its U-turn. The Chief Minister said the Cabinet could not have a complete discussion on the Bill in its meeting held Monday. “By then, reports appeared in the media (on the approval of the Bill),” he said. “There was some confusion. We’ll clear the confusion in the next Cabinet meeting,” he said.
Ashoka had earlier pointed out that Siddaramaiah had changed his stance on X (formerly Twitter) thrice. He said Siddaramaiah first tweeted, and later deleted, that the Cabinet had approved a Bill reserving 100 per cent group c & d jobs in the private sector for Kannadigas. Ashoka said the CM, in another tweet, talked about “50 per cent management and 75 per cent non-management jobs” for Kannadigas in the private sector. “Finally, you announced that the Bill is on hold. There appears to be a Tughlaq Sarkar in the state,” he said.
