Kannada activists staged a protest in Bengaluru recently demanding Kannada signage in commercial establishments.
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: The Cabinet on Friday decided to promulgate an ordinance directing the commercial establishments and business shops in the state to mandatorily use 60 per cent Kannada in signboards.
Decision comes after the members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) sent shockwaves across the city, vandalising name boards in English last week. The Kannada activists had termed their act as an “awareness campaign”.
Briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting here, Law and Parliamentary affairs Minister H K Patil said that the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development (Amendment) 2023 Bill will seek to make mandatory use of 60 per cent Kannada language in all signages in the state.
Apart from making mandatory use of Kannada language, the ordinance also seeks to appoint secretary of Kannada Development Authority as convenor of the implementation committee and Kannada and Culture Department director as its member.
According to Section 17(6) of the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Act 2022, which was adopted in February 2023, the state government or local authorities-approved commercial industries, business establishments, counselling centres, hospitals, laboratories, recreation centers and hotels etc., must have their names in Kannada on the upper half (50 per cent) of the signboards.
Patil further added that the Cabinet also decided to relax the upper age criteria for the candidates appearing in the gazetted probationers examination to be conducted by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) in 2024 as a one-time measure.
“The decision to increase the age eligibility criteria was taken in view of the Covid 19 pandemic and delay in conducting the examination,” he said and stressed that this is a one-time measure.
After the decision, the upper age limit has been increased from 35 years to 38 years for general category candidates, 40 years to 43 years for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes candidates and 38 years to 41 years for candidates from category 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B.
The Cabinet also decided to provide a three-month window for people to return the wildlife trophies such as tiger nails, horns and others to the government.
Other decisions
The Cabinet also gave post-facto approval for all Acts that were passed during the Legislature session in Belagavi last month. This includes, Karnataka Motor Vehicles Taxation (Second Amendment) Act that aims to collect additional revenue of Rs 267.98 crore by levying tax on school buses.
10 electric double-decker buses will be deployed by the BMTC.
Rs 800 crore sanctioned to develop 43 roads under white-topping project in BBMP limits.
Rs 910 crore approved for Irrigation department to take up drinking water project in Kunigal, Tumakuru district, in two phases.