Centre won’t lose control on PSUs

New Delhi
Dec. 1: The finance minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, on Tuesday sought to reassure Left parties on the issue of disinvestment of profit making PSUs that it would not result in the Centre leaving its hold over the organisations. He also said that the Union government had no plans at the moment to disinvest beyo-nd 10 per cent in any PSUs.
In reply to a calling attention notice by the CPI(M) member, Mr Tapan Kumar Sen, Mr Mukherjee said that the disinvestment will not only help fund social sector projects, it will also help strengthen and modernise the public sector undertakings.
“The proceeds from divestment would be channelised into the National Investment Fund for social sector programmes and stre-ngthen other undertakings,” Mr Mukherjee said.
Refuting allegations that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) had gone ahead with disinvestment after ‘shedding the Left baggage’, Mr Mukherjee said it had always been a part of the common minimum programme.
Stressing that the government has the right and authority to decide what is good for the country, he said, “Nothing is permanent here. If tomorrow you (pointing to the Left benches) come with 272 seats in the Lok Sabha, you are fully entitled to do what you want to do.”
Mr Sen had alleged the shift in the sell-off strategy is a ‘plan to pave the way for creeping privatisation’.