Chief Minister Siddaramaiah greets visually challenged IAS topper Kempahonnaiah at an event organised to felicitate Kannadigas who topped the UPSC examin 2016. DH PHOTO
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday that IAS officers serving in the state must learn Kannada and must conduct business only in Kannada.
He was speaking at a function organised by the Kannada Development Authority to felicitate candidates from the state who had obtained good ranks in the civil services exam of 2016, conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
“No matter which state they are posted in, IAS officers should always conduct business in the language of that state. Officers from other states who come to Karnataka should learn Kannada, at least on a par with the SSLC level. There can be no compromise on this,” he said.
He said that an Assamese IAS officer had to be sent back to the central services as he did not learn Kannada even after two years in the state. Siddaramaiah reprimanded IAS officers from Karnataka who continue to use English in files and documents.
Topper K R Nandini and six selected candidates who had written their examination in Kannada were awarded Rs 1 lakh each by the KDA.
The authority also awarded Rs 50,000 each to 15 candidates who had chosen Kannada literature as their optional subject.
Visually impaired candidate Kempahonnaiah from Tumakuru, who spoke at the event, said: “I grew up in a village, herding cows and sheep. I lost my vision when I was nine and my mother put me in a school for the blind.
“I got education because of the government and now I will get a chance to serve the government.” He thanked his wife Anchita for her support.