Opposition puts Govt on mat on divestment

Opposition in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday pilloried the NDA government over divestment of profit-making public sector undertakings saying the "erroneous" policy would not be accepted by the people.

 

"This is not at all a sound policy. We cannot accept this," senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee said initiating a short duration discussion on the divestment of public sector units.

 

Stating there was a difference of opinion within the Union Cabinet with some openly airing their views against it, the

former finance minister wanted to know whether the government considered privatisation as core of economic reforms.

 

"No profit-making public sector undertaking should be divested. Congress distances itself from this. We never

believe

that all public sector enterprises are a burden on exchequer. Allow them to compete," he said.

 

Stating that the vast public sector assets were the creation of tax payers' hard earned money and the funds borrowed over the years, Mukherjee wanted to know what the government proposed to do with the proceeds of the divestment and whether it would be used to bridge the revenue gap.

 

Refuting the oft-repeated claim that the National Democratic Alliance was pursuing policies initiated by the Congress, he said the government did not have any policy and added if at all it had one, there would not have been divergent views among the ministers.

 

The Divestment Dilemma