BENGALURU: The number of Kannadigas working in administrative roles in banks is steadily declining, which could lead to severe social conflicts in the future, warned Purushotham Bilimale, chairman of Kannada Development Authority (KDA).
After a meeting with officials of the State Level Bankers’ Committee on Tuesday, he emphasised the importance of appointing individuals proficient in the local language for roles that demand interaction with the public in banks. He cautioned that delaying this implementation could result in social conflicts across the state.
He added that SLBC will soon arrange a meeting with representatives of all banks in the state to provide detailed guidelines for making banks more citizen-friendly, by prioritising the use of Kannada in their administration. He also highlighted the importance of providing opportunities for Kannadigas in outsourced jobs in banks, and recommended including conditions in tender regulations to ensure this. Further, the SLBC has been instructed to submit a proposal to the Central government regarding local recruitment.
Bilimale also stated that newly recruited staff must undergo Kannada language training at bank training centres.