HYDERABAD: The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked whether the promised achhe din would come by selling profit-making public sector undertakings (PSUs).Speaking to reporters on Friday along with TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy, Kharge said that the previous Congress government sold away only loss-making PSUs.
Kharge recalled that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on August 23, announced the National Monetisation Pipeline for Central Ministries and PSUs. As part of this, government assets like roads, railways and PSUs would be sold for a total amount of Rs 6 lakh crore over a period of four years (FY 2022-2025). “This plan includes selling of 26,700 km of roads for Rs 1.6 lakh crore, 400 railway stations and tracks for Rs 1.5 lakh crore, power transmission lines worth Rs 45,200 crore, power generation plants worth Rs 39,832 crore and many others,” Kharge stated.
The senior Congress leader alleged that in a break from convention, strategic assets like roads and railways had been listed for privatisation. He said that there were 366 PSUs employing 12.53 lakh regular and contractual employees. “If all these PSUs were to be sold off, what would be the future of these employees,” wondered Kharge.
BJP hits back at Kharge
BJP State Chief Spokesperson K Krishna Saagar Rao attacked Mallikarjun Kharge for his statements against the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP)
