TN parties oppose NLC sell-off

CHENNAI: Major political parties including the ruling DMK, the main opposition party, the AIADMK, besides the PMK and the DMDK, have come together to oppose the UPA government’s decision to offload 10% equity stake in Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC).

Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK president, M Karunanidhi, in a letter to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, has termed the sellout plan as a “deviation from the Common Minimum Programme”. He called for the reconsideration of the partial sellout plan and said the opposition to disinvest “cannot be ignored”.

Mr Karunanidhi also said the Labour Progressive Front (LPF), an affiliate union of the party, will participate in the July 4 protest called by the NLC employees.

Earlier, the AIADMK supremo and former chief minister, J Jayalalitha said that the sellout plan will hit the root of the PSUs in the country. Calling for its immediate withdrawal, she also said the move only violated the assurance given by the UPA government that profit making PSUs will not be sold.

The fledgling DMDK party’s founder leader, Mr Vijayakant, also condemned the Union government’s move to disinvest the 10% stake. It’s a move that will allow a back door entry to the private sector.

The PMK, which has a strong presence in the Vanniyar belt, that includes the Neyveli lignite zone, was one of the earliest parties in the state to oppose the move by the Centre.