Karnataka govt should address underperformance of other sectors before IT: BJP

Bengaluru, July 22 (IANS) Karnataka BJP on Monday slammed the state government regarding the setting up policies for the IT and ITES sectors, saying that the government should be more worried about its underperformance across the sectors.

“Siddaramaiah’s government itself is in a sleeping mode but he plans to propose a bill that will force the IT sector to work for 14 work hours a day, 70 hours a week,” State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra wrote on X.

He said that the government should worry about its underperforming productivity, the collapsing state economy and degrading infrastructure before setting policies for a sector that's efficient and thriving.

On Monday, Karnataka Minister for Labour Santhosh Lad said that the Congress government is under pressure from the IT industry to bring forth new legislation proposing extra hours of work for techies.

He clarified that the government is still evaluating the bill that would allow software professionals to work for 14 hours a day.

The Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) expressed its concerns over this potential change, highlighting the significant impact it would have on employees.