Bengaluru, Dec 20 (AHN) Medical Education, Skill Development and Livelihood Minister Sharanaprakash R. Patil on Saturday said he was unaware of any power-sharing agreement between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, asserting that any decision on such matters would be taken by the party’s high command.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Bengaluru, Patil said he had seen media reports about an agreement between the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister but had no information about it.

“If there are any issues related to transfer of power or other matters, the decision will be taken by the party’s senior leadership. All party leaders are united and will abide by whatever decision the high command takes,” he said.

Stating that no one had any information about such an agreement, Patil said the matter was for the party high command, the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister to decide, and declined to comment further.

He dismissed speculation of instability, saying there was no confusion within the Congress party or the state government and that the administration was functioning smoothly.

“Everyone in the government is united. The administration is running efficiently under the leadership of the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister. This is all that I can say,” he added.

Earlier in the day, addressing ‘Job Habba’, a dedicated employment platform for persons with disabilities at BMS Women’s College, jointly organised by the Karnataka Skill Development Authority (KSDA), Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC) and AssisTech Foundation, Patil said inclusive growth was both a moral imperative and an economic necessity.

He noted that Karnataka is home to over 20 lakh persons with disabilities and said the state was working on a new framework to expand opportunities in education and employment.

“There is an urgent need to change workplace practices and attitudes, as representation of persons with disabilities in the corporate workforce remains low at the national level,” he said.

The minister highlighted the draft Karnataka Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Employment and Education Bill, 2025, which proposes a five per cent job quota in the private sector and 10 per cent reservation in educational institutions for persons with disabilities.

He said the proposed law would be among the most forward-looking measures in the country and aligns closely with the Karnataka Skill Development Policy 2025–32, which focuses on inclusive skilling, industry partnerships, accessible infrastructure and technology-enabled training.

Patil underlined the role of initiatives such as the Chief Minister’s Kaushalya Karnataka Yojane (CMKKY) in training persons with disabilities and said outreach would be expanded to ensure wider access to skilling and placement support.

He also announced a collaboration with AssisTech Foundation to leverage assistive technologies, AI-enabled learning tools, virtual job-matching systems and employer sensitisation toolkits.

Calling inclusive hiring “smart economics, not charity”, Patil urged employers to view diversity as a driver of innovation and resilience.

He expressed confidence that Job Habba would serve as a platform for success, dignity and pride for persons with disabilities in Karnataka.

KSDC Managing Director N.M. Nagaraja, AssisTech co-founder Prateek, India blind cricket team captain Shekar Naik and BMS College for Women principal Dr N. Raghukumar were present.