Drop proposal to disinvest unlisted PSUs: Left

New Delhi, Apr 13: Taking a serious view of the Government's proposal to "disinvest" all the unlisted PSUs and the auction of all loss-making enterprises in the country, the Left parties today demanded that the Centre drop the move and discuss the issue with them and the Trade Unions as was "committed" by it.

The CPI, CPI(M) and Forward Bloc also cautioned the Manmohan Singh government against the pitfalls of the "hot money" operating in the stock exchanges, referring to the steep fall in the Sensex yesterday and the unabated farmers suicides in various parts of the country.

The UPA goverment is reportedly finalising a proposal for the next Five Year Plan to list all the unlisted Central Public Sector Enterprises( CPSEs) through the initial Public Offerings route by disinvesting 10 per cent in each of the companies. There is also a proposal to auction all the loss making enterprises which can not be listed in stock exchanges.

Talking to UNI, CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said," it shows that the government is going ahead with its policy of disinvesting all the PSUs bit by bit. We can not support any such move. We have to be vigilant and watchful." On the Sensex sudden fall by as many as 307 points, the CPI veteran and freedom fighter Mr Bardhan quipped," the speculative rise in the stock exchange lead to a speculative fall... this is the natural corollary." On the farmers continuing to end their lives, the CPI leader said it demonstrated that the alarming situation had to be discussed in all its dimensions.

"The government must set up a sort of high powered committee to formulate all measures to put an end to this great scar on nation's face," Mr Bardhan added.

While CPI(M) Floor leader in the Lok Sabha Basudeb Acharia called for" reversal" of the agriculture policy, Deputy leader Salim Mohammad asked for immediate implementation of the recommendations of the M S Swaminathan Committee which included the lowering of the interest rate for farmers, insurance coverage of all crops, and the market intervention to ensure the Minimum Support Price for their products among other things.

The CPI(M) leaders deplored that the UPA government even after completing two years in office, had failed in addressing the issues of the farmers and the Aam Aadmi. High technology and capital intensive agriculture was not the answer as propagated by the MNCs.

On the government's move to disinvest PSUs, Mr Salim stressed that the government must come out with" concrete proposals." In some cases it may be OK. The Centre has to come out with the names of the proposed companies, the quantum of its share and of the employees or private individuals and the methodology." The CPI(M) leader emphasised that as regards the auctioning of the sick PSUs, his party stood for honest efforts for reviving them.

Forward Bloc national Secretary G Devrajan deplored that the Government was not learning any lesson from the" jobless growth" during the last 15 years in the country." Besides this is in violation of the spirit of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP).

The government had promised that it will take up the issue of disinvesting PSU with the Left." Reminding WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy's advice( dictate) to the Indian government to further open up its agriculture sector to the MNCs, the Forward Bloc leader said," it seems that the international finance institutions, supported by the US and other developed nations have the gameplan to again subjugate the country."

UNI