SJM urges centre to support stressed PSUs

Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) — an affiliate body of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh — on Sunday urged the government to rethink its disinvestment plans and instead support loss-making public sector enterprises (PSU).

Based on suggestions made by the NITI Aayog, the Department of Public Asset Management (DIPAM) has listed 92 PSUs for disinvestment this year. It has proposed ‘strategic sale’ of some companies and in others, assets (mostly immovable) are planned to be sold.

In a resolution issued on Sunday after the national council meet at Pune, the Manch specifically referred to the ‘strategic sales’ of the three whollyowned subsidiaries of Air India and the broadband services and tower assets of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, arguing that disinvestment of these would bleed the PSUs further. “Similar issues are there in other strategic disinvestment proposals. SJM firmly believe that the Government should give a rethink to their recent proposals of disinvestment of 92 CPSEs as suggested by NITI Aayog”.


SJM strongly urged the government “not to go ahead with its disinvestment plan in these strategically important subsidiaries of Air India and rather support them to further expand their businesses by claiming back their businesses given to private parties earlier for example ground handling business of key airports given to AISATS, a Singapore-funded firm during UPA regime”.

ET was the first to report on June 2 that the SJM was preparing to nudge the Centre against the disinvestment plans for Air India.