Congress slams govt over bid to privatise steel plants, suffocate industry

Govt will not invest in them, there is evidence that it is actually systematically trying to further throttle the units to push them into losses and strengthen case for privatization, J Ramesh said

The Congress on Saturday attacked the government over attempts to privatise steel plants, alleging the country's industrial base is being "suffocated" and Union Steel Minister H D Kumaraswamy is party to it.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh cited a written reply in the Rajya Sabha by Kumaraswamy.

"Yesterday in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister for Steel revealed that the Modi Government has attempted and failed to privatise 4 steel plants and is currently attempting to privatise another 2," Ramesh said on X.

None of these six privatisations were necessary, he argued.

"Perhaps the Government's incompetence in enacting its own decisions, however ill-founded, is a small mercy," he said.

However, these PSUs are now in a state of inactivity, and will be for an indeterminate period of time, Ramesh said.

"The Government will not invest in them - in fact, there is evidence that the Government is actually systematically trying to further throttle these units to push them into losses and strengthen the case for privatization," the Congress leader said.

The employees will struggle to get paid and suppliers will shift over time, he said.

"Our country's industrial base is being suffocated and the Union Steel Minister is party to it," Ramesh said.