The Hindu Business Line : Scrap sell-off policies, say Left parties

CPI leaders Mr D. Raja and Mr A.B. Bardhan with CPI (M) leaders Mr Harkishen Singh Surjeet and Mr Sitaram Yechury during a meeting in the Capital on Friday. - Ramesh Sharma

New Delhi , May 14

LEAVE alone privatisation, even disinvestment will now be a dirty word. Although the would-be coalition constituents of the Congress combine are yet to put their heads together to draw up a common minimum programme (CMP) for governance, the two major Left parties have already fired the first salvo.

Scrap the Disinvestment Ministry and its proactive policies, they have said in unison, as a sort of pre-condition to joining the Congress-led regime at the Centre.

Following an informal meeting of veteran leaders of the CPI (M) and the CPI on Friday, the CPI General Secretary, Mr A.B. Bardhan, declared that the new Government will have to do away with the policy of disinvestment of public sector undertakings (PSUs).

Asked if scrapping of the disinvestment policy would be a pre-condition for participation of the Left Front in the new Government, he said, "Obviously, it goes without saying that the policy of disinvesting PSUs has to go."

Echoing identical views, though in different words, the CPI-M General Secretary, Mr Harkishen Singh Surjeet, said: "We cannot afford it (the disinvestment programme followed by the NDA). We oppose disinvestment of profit-making PSUs. All the mistakes of the NDA Government have to be rectified."

Queried further, he said: "This disinvestment policy has seriously harmed the country. The present mandate is a reflection of people's verdict on the wrong economic policies of the NDA Government. This policy has to be changed."

Mr Bardhan said that the new parties in the proposed coalition will have to work out a CMP immediately on some basic needs that will essentially exclude disinvestment in profit-making PSUs.

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