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Statue of slain leader Praveen Nettaru (Image/ News18)
Nootana Kumari was among the 150 contractual staff who received a termination order last week when the new Congress government came to power on May 10. However, within 24 hours of the issue sparking outrage, CM Siddaramaiah reinstated her as a ‘special case’
Nootana Kumari, the wife of slain Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader Praveen Nettaru, eagerly awaits a letter from the newly established Congress government in Karnataka which she hopes will reinstate her as a temporary staff member at the Mangaluru Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) office.
Amidst the anticipation, she also hopes for a permanent job that will provide her stability irrespective of who handles the affairs in the state.
Ranjit Salyan, a relative of Nettaru, expressed hope that Kumari would secure a permanent position as promised by Nalin Kumar Kateel, the BJP MP representing the Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha seat. The Nettaru family believes a permanent posting or job would offer the financial security that Kumar requires.
“We are hopeful that she gets a permanent job with New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) as promised by our leader Kateel. This government job is temporary and like a sword hanging over her head. She needs a permanent job and we hope the job at NMPT, which is under the central government, will give her the financial stability she needs,” Salyan told News18.
Kumari was among the 150 contractual staff who received a termination order last week when the new Congress government came to power on May 10. This, the Congress clarified, was a routine administrative procedure wherein temporary employees appointed by the previous government are let go, making way for a new set of contracts.
However, within 24 hours of the issue sparking outrage, chief minister Siddaramaiah announced that Kumari would be reinstated, considering her a ‘special case’.
“I am yet to get my appointment letter. I would not like to comment on this matter,” said Kumari when News18 contacted her.
Kateel said he will request the Union government to give Kumari a job in one of the Mangaluru-based central government establishments like New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) rather than make her a victim of “Congress’ vindictive politics”.
Nettaru’s family acknowledged the positive response from the government this time but remained apprehensive about the future.
“Since this job is not permanent, her future may also depend on the whims and actions of the present government. She can lose this job too at any point of time and that is not good,” added Nettaru’s cousin Salyan.
In response to the BJP’s allegations of political vendetta, Siddaramaiah said: “Not only Praveen Nettaru’s wife, more than 150 contract workers have already been dismissed from service. There is no government interference in this… Considering this a special case, Kumari will be re-appointed on humanitarian grounds,” he said.
Kumari was given a job on ‘humanitarian grounds’ at the office of previous chief minister Basavaraj Bommai as a senior assistant (Group C) in Bengaluru after her husband Praveen Nettaru was brutally murdered in the coastal town of Bellare in July 2022. However, on her request, Kumari was later posted at the office of the Deputy Commissioner Dakshina Kannada where she began work in October 2022.
When Kateel was questioned as to why her position was not made permanent by the Bommai government when she was appointed the first time, the Dakshina Kannada MP clarified that the previous BJP government had detected some legal hurdles in order to regularise her services. He added that they were working on it but then the state elections were announced.
Kumari’s termination triggered protests from BJP leaders who labelled it a vindictive act by the Congress. However, government officials clarified that Kumari’s employment order stipulated that her tenure would last until the chief minister’s term or until further notice.
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