Left tries to rope in DMK to stop Govt from divesting stake in BSNL
The Left front is now turning to UPA partner, DMK, seeking its intervention to “nip in the bud” BSNL disinvestment plans. The Govt plans to divest 10% equity holding in BSNL.
By ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI : Disinvestment of profit-making PSUs may be blasphemy for the Left, but the Manmohan Singh government can now turn a deaf ear to their protests.
Aware of this, the Left is now turning to UPA partner, DMK, seeking its intervention to ���nip in the bud��� BSNL disinvestment plans.
Reminding the DMK that it had taken a ���firm stand��� against the government���s plans to disinvest equity holding in Neyveli Lignite Corporation in 2006 forcing it to withdraw the proposal, the CPM wants the party to play a similar role in the case of the UPA���s plans to divest 10% equity holding in BSNL. Besides, the minister of communication A Raja belongs to the DMK.
CPM polit bureau member and Citu president M K Pandhe shot off a letter to DMK supremo Mr Karunanidhi on Saturday saying the government has proposed to divest the shares in BSNL.
He said in a meeting convened by Mr Raja on August 7, the BSNL union had opposed the proposal despite the government offering shares to the workers.
���It was a principled stand of the union not to disinvest profit-making public sector undertakings.
Mr Pandhe also tried to give a clean chit to the communication ministry by saying that in the meeting the communication minister respected the feelings expressed by the workers representatives but it appeared that the finance ministry appeared determined to go ahead with it.
���I hope you would take into account the opinions expressed by the BSNL employees so that government���s efforts to go ahead with BSNL IPO plan is nipped in the bud,��� Mr Pandhe said.
The Left, which has lost its power to intervene in the government���s policy matrix, is in no position to do another Bhel.
The Left���s tough position against divesting 10% shares of Bhel by boycotting the UPA-Left coordination mechanism had forced the government to put the proposal on the back burner.
Later, despite the Left���s firm position against allowing any disinvestment of profit-making PSUs, the government made attempts to sell shares of some profit-making PSUs, like Neyveli Lignite.
It was pressure from the UPA partners like the DMK, which threatened to pull out of the coalition, that tied the government���s hands.
Aware of this, the Left is now turning to UPA partner, DMK, seeking its intervention to ���nip in the bud��� BSNL disinvestment plans.
Reminding the DMK that it had taken a ���firm stand��� against the government���s plans to disinvest equity holding in Neyveli Lignite Corporation in 2006 forcing it to withdraw the proposal, the CPM wants the party to play a similar role in the case of the UPA���s plans to divest 10% equity holding in BSNL. Besides, the minister of communication A Raja belongs to the DMK.
CPM polit bureau member and Citu president M K Pandhe shot off a letter to DMK supremo Mr Karunanidhi on Saturday saying the government has proposed to divest the shares in BSNL.
He said in a meeting convened by Mr Raja on August 7, the BSNL union had opposed the proposal despite the government offering shares to the workers.
���It was a principled stand of the union not to disinvest profit-making public sector undertakings.
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Mr Pandhe also tried to give a clean chit to the communication ministry by saying that in the meeting the communication minister respected the feelings expressed by the workers representatives but it appeared that the finance ministry appeared determined to go ahead with it.
���I hope you would take into account the opinions expressed by the BSNL employees so that government���s efforts to go ahead with BSNL IPO plan is nipped in the bud,��� Mr Pandhe said.
The Left, which has lost its power to intervene in the government���s policy matrix, is in no position to do another Bhel.
The Left���s tough position against divesting 10% shares of Bhel by boycotting the UPA-Left coordination mechanism had forced the government to put the proposal on the back burner.
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Later, despite the Left���s firm position against allowing any disinvestment of profit-making PSUs, the government made attempts to sell shares of some profit-making PSUs, like Neyveli Lignite.
It was pressure from the UPA partners like the DMK, which threatened to pull out of the coalition, that tied the government���s hands.
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