The Kannada Development Authority will take up with the Union Government the issue of giving preference to local people while recruiting employees to Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), said authority Chairman and film-maker T.S. Nagabharana here on Friday.
Talking to reporters following conclusion of his two-day visit to the city to review the implementation of the recommendations of the Sarojini Mahishi Committee for protection and promotion of Kannada, Mr. Nagabharana said that though the Union Government-managed firms such as MRPL are not bound to reserve any posts for local people but they are bound to give preference to local people during recruitment in lieu of using land and other resources for setting up their units.
During a review meeting held on Thursday, Mr. Nagabharana said that MRPL officials had told the authority that of the 170 people selected during a process in May 2020, only 14 were local people. The MRPL officials said that very few Kannadigas took part in the selection process. “I have asked for a copy of the meeting proceedings. I will take up with the Union Government the issue of giving preference to Kannadigas in MRPL,” he said.
NEP is beneficial
Preference to mother tongue and regional language in primary education in the National Education Policy has brought prominence to Kannada. “We need to press hard on this (regional language education) which will resolve all problems (in Kannada medium instruction in primary schools),” he said.
On the recent interim order of the High Court of Karnataka asking the State Government not to insist non-Kannada degree students on studying Kannada, Mr. Nagabharana said that the authority has impleaded itself as a party in the petition.
On the appointment of Malayalam teachers for teaching Kannada in schools in Kasaragod in Kerala, Mr. Nagabharana said that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has issued a statement of correcting the anomaly. “We are following up the matter with the Kerala Minority Commission,” he said.
After a meeting with Bank of Baroda officials, Mr. Nagabharana said that the bank has taken action to print challans and cheque book in Kannada.
Earlier, in a meeting with district officials on Friday, Mr. Nagabharana asked Mangaluru City Corporation to have road name boards in Kannada. The authority will take up with the State Government to publish tender documents of MESCOM and other government organisations in Kannada.
Mr. Nagabharana said that he was happy with schools in Dakshina Kannada singing Nadageete and National Anthem during the morning and evening school prayer sessions.
