New IndPress

Bangalore, Aug 7: Cheif Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday said that the State Government is contemplating to make it mandatory for the IT and BT companies to provide certain percentage of jobs to Kannadigas while giving permission to start their operations in Karnataka.

Speaking at the `Hello CM', a phone-in programme conducted by Doordarshana Kendra Bangalore, Kumarswamy expressed his anguish over IT and BT companies in the State not providing jobs to the localites. He said: “Most of the companies currently operating in the State have not employed sufficient number of localites. When we ask them to do so, they start labelling us as anti-IT and anti-BT. It is unfortunate."

Therefore, the State Government is thinking of making it compulsory for these firms to reserve certain percentage of jobs to Kannadigas while giving permission to start their operation from the State.

“There is nothing wrong in asking job reservation for localites when these companies are using resources of the State in subsidised rates,'' he said.

Chief Minister said the Government is also keen to establish a corporation for the overall development of the youth. The proposed corporation, apart from providing financial assistance to the youth to start their own business, would also help and guide them in their educational matters, he said.

Listing the Government's ambitious plans to mark the golden jubilee celebrations of the State's formation, Chief Minister said 1000 villages would be adopted and each village would be developed with the expense of Rs one crore. A sum of Rs 125 crores was set aside for the renovation and construction of school buildings across the State, he added.

When asked about the appointment of teachers, Kumaraswamy said a decision would be taken soon. Since the Sunday's programmes was dedicated to the problems of the youth, most of the questions that were hurled at CM were pertaining to the youth.