Disinvestment again faces roadblock from DMK

New Delhi, Jun 8: After successfully stalling disinvestment plans of the previous UPA regime, DMK today again opposed the Centre's disinvestment policy, a few days after President Pratibha Patil talked in favour of listing of state-run firms.
"I welcome that the UPA government had laid a lot of emphasis on welfare schemes and on social sector spending. But we also have to keep away from the temptation of generating revenue by disinvesting our PSUs," DMK MP Kanimozhi said in the Rajya Sabha.

Participating in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address to Parliament, Kanimozhi, daughter of DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, said divesting stakes in PSUs "will not help".

This was especially so to a country like India where socialist model was very important, she said, adding "so, we cannot think of disinvestment in the PSUs".

It was the DMK, whose opposition to disinvestment in the Nevyeli Lignite Corp, led to the previous UPA decision to put on hold all its disinvestment decisions and proposals.

While spelling out the government's policies in her address to the joint session, President Patil had said, "Our fellow citizens have every right to own part of the shares of public sector companies, while the government retains majority shareholding and control. PTI