Ruling BJD and Opposition Congress members created ruckus in the Odisha Assembly today as they blamed each other for the sale of equity of National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco).
The issue was raised by government deputy chief whip Sanjay Dasburma who accused the Centre of deliberately putting Nalco's share on sale as it was located in Odisha.
"Congress hatched a conspiracy to sell Nalco equity because it is in Odisha," Dasburma, who sought passage of a resolution in the Assembly opposing disinvestment in the profit-making Navaratna PSU.
The Centre has already disinvested six per cent of Nalco's equity on March 15 and has planned to dispose another 12.15 per cent in the coming days.
Senior BJD member Prafulla Ghadai, Amar Prasad Satpathy, Ranendra Pratap Swain and others too criticised UPA government at the centre for its decision to sell a portion of Nalco's equity.
Congress members vociferously opposed it. "Instead of blaming the UPA government, the BJD members should realise that the process of Nalco disinvestment started during the NDA tenure when Naveen Patnaik was a minister in the Union Cabinet," said Congress Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan.
He was opposed by many treasury bench members who shouted from their seats and blamed Congress-led UPA government for Nalco disinvestment.
Harichandan said Odisha PCC has all along opposed the disinvestment of Nalco as it was emotionally attached to the sentiment of the people.
