Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has assured that the long-pending demand for a separate ministry for Non-Resident Kannadigas (NRKs) will soon be fulfilled.

A 45-member NRI delegation representing Kannadigas from more than 30 countries, led by prominent global entrepreneur Dr Ronald Colaco, met chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister D. K. Shivakumar at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi. The delegation submitted a memorandum seeking quick resolution of issues faced by NRKs and the creation of a separate ministry and department. Responding to the appeal, the chief minister assured the group that the government would take positive action.

Siddaramaiah noted that establishing a new ministry requires consultation with the party high command.
“I will visit Delhi at the earliest and discuss the matter with the high command. We will take the next steps toward creating a separate ministry and department,” he said.

The chief minister also addressed another key promise from the Congress election manifesto—the creation of a ₹1,000 crore revolving fund to encourage NRKs to establish industries in Karnataka. He said discussions with party leaders would be initiated to move this proposal forward.

MLC and NRI Forum vice-chairperson Dr Arathi Krishna, who accompanied and supported the delegation, made a special appeal to the chief minister to address the long-standing demands of Kannadigas abroad.

The memorandum included an extensive list of office-bearers from Kannada organisations operating across multiple countries, urging the government to act swiftly on issues affecting NRKs.

Earlier, Dr Ronald Colaco, known for his strong rapport with senior leaders across political parties, had met home minister Dr G. Parameshwar—chairman of the Congress Manifesto Committee—to explain the demands. Several leaders joined the delegation in Belagavi, including Council chairman Basavaraj Horatti, C. T. Ravi (BJP), Bhoje Gowda (JD(S)), and Congress leaders Thammaiah H. D., Ivan D’Souza, and Dr Arathi Krishna.

Delegation Members

The 45-member delegation included Dr Ronald Colaco (leader), Zakariya Jokatte (Saudi Arabia), Hidayath Addoor (Dubai, BCCI president), Praveen Kumar Shetty (Dubai, KNRI president), Mohammad Ayaz Majoor (Saudi Arabia), Ravikumar Shetty Moodambail (Qatar), Sandesh Anand (Qatar), Rajkumar Bhaskar (Bahrain), Ashraf Sha Mantoor (Dubai), Manoj Deshpande (Poland), Ajith Bangera (Bahrain), Arun Kumar M. K. (Dubai), Sarvotham Shetty (Abu Dhabi), Sheikh Muzafar (Sharjah), Sachin Parth (Poland), Taufiq Khalandar (Saudi Arabia), Mohammad Firoz (Saudi Arabia), Mohammad Mustaq (Dubai), Shashidhar Nagarajappa (Dubai), K. V. Kanakaraj (Ajman), M. R. Katipalla Ismail (Saudi Arabia), Mohammad Mansoor (Bahrain), Abdullah Moyiddin (Qatar), Satish Kumar (Saudi Arabia), Mohammad Saleem (Sharjah), Prabhakar Basavaraju (Kuwait), Madhwaraj Arun Kumar (Kuwait), Mallesh Thotad (Italy), Manjunath Bheemareddy (Italy), Harsha Jagadish (Sweden), Praveen Kalasad (Australia), Gagan Manjunath Gowda (Germany), Dr Subrahmanya Bhat (USA), Dr Annapoorna Bhat (USA), Dr Shakeel (Saudi Arabia), Arun Kumar (Australia), Abhinav Deshpande (Hungary), Madhu (USA), Ramesh Ramakrishnayya (Australia) and Praveen (Melbourne–Australia).

Dedicated NRK Ministry by March 2026: Deputy CM

Deputy chief minister D. K. Shivakumar assured the delegation that the Karnataka government would establish a dedicated NRK ministry by March 2026.

“We are always with our non-resident Kannadigas. Our government is committed to addressing their concerns. We assure you that by the end of March 2026, the separate ministry will be fully established,” he said during the meeting.

The delegation also submitted memorandums to home minister Dr G. Parameshwara, Speaker U. T. Khader, and Council chairman Basavaraj Horatti, urging support for NRK aspirations.

Positive Response from Government

Dr Colaco expressed satisfaction with the government’s response.
“Both the chief minister and deputy chief minister gave positive assurances that the demand for a separate ministry will be fulfilled soon,” he said.

He added that the delegation explained their concerns in detail.
“The chief minister listened patiently and assured us he would discuss the matter with the concerned authorities and move quickly toward implementation,” he said.

He further stated that the deputy chief minister reiterated the government’s commitment:
“He reminded us that the government has successfully implemented its five guarantees. Similarly, they will fulfil the demands of Non-Resident Kannadigas soon and share good news.”

Key Demands in the Memorandum

• Immediate formation of a dedicated ministry and department for NRK-related matters.
• Creation of a ₹1,000 crore revolving fund to support NRKs establishing industries or permanently returning to Karnataka.
• Establishment of an NRI grievance redressal cell for issues such as property fraud, land disputes, and bureaucratic delays.
• A single-window mechanism to strengthen cultural, educational, and technological engagement between NRKs and Karnataka.
• An annual global Kannada convention, NRI identity card, enhanced support for Kannada associations abroad.
• Encouraging NRK investments, promoting reverse migration, and supporting start-ups, enterprises, and skill-based initiatives for Kannadigas abroad.