DMK ministers firm on disinvestment

The National Democratic Alliance's pet subject of disinvestment was a sore point with all the ministers of the new Congress-led government today, with most of them taking a strong stand against divesting profit-making bodies.

Dayanidhi Maran, who took charge of the IT and Telecommunication Ministry today, ruled out privatisation of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.

"MTNL and BSNL will not be privatised, they are off the disinvestment list," Maran said immediately after assuming office here.

The other DMK minister taking charge of roads transport and shipping ministry today, TR Baalu, drew curtains over the disinvestment of Shipping Corporation of India (SCI).

"It is not necessary to privatise SCI. I am not a mad man to support such a step," Baalu told reporters here. He said the government will consciously review the working of SCI and see what needs to be done for modernisation of fleet and augmenting tonnage.

The previous BJP-led government had taken up selling government stake in SCI, but had to put the privatisation on the backburner as the process did not attract many buyers.

Not to be left behind, even the new Coal and Mines Minister Sibu Soren came out strongly against privatisation of the aluminium major National Aluminium Company (NALCO).

On the fate of amendments to Coal Mines Nationalisation Bill to throw open the sector to private participation, Soren argued that it would not be proper to let in the private players in the sector, as they would only pursue their selfish interests.

Even the Law Minister Hans Raj Bharadwaj criticised the previous government for its disinvestment policies.

"The earlier government was of the view that in matters of disinvestment, the Parliament could be bypassed. That was also the opinion of the attorney-general. That is not the view of the new government," he said.

Referring to the Supreme Court verdict nullifying the divestment of government-holding in oil majors, HPCL and BPCL, he said the apex court had rightly objected to the sale of PSUs without parliamentary approval.

"The Parliament should have been taken into confidence as the PSUs have been created from public money," he said adding that disinvestment should have legal sanction. He said that the government had no right to fritter away public money without the Parliament's approval.