Chennai: Not just the opposition parties, critics and a section of ‘experts’, but RSS-affiliated organisations too are opposed to some of the announcements made by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the last few days.
With Nirmala announcing opening up of eight sectors for greater private participationāfrom commercial coal mining to allowing use of ISRO facilities, from opening up the aviation sector to privatising power distribution system in Union territories and increasing FDI in defence sector, RSS-backed trade union Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh has termed these reforms as failed ideas.
BMS general secretary Vrijesh Upadhyay said, “The fourth day of announcements of FM is a sad day for the nation and its people, who were on a euphoria hearing the first three days” announcements. The government opened up eight sectors, suggesting that it has no option except privatisation. This is a show of the dearth of ideas on economic revival in times of crisis.’
Upadhyay added: “Without any social dialogue, the government is bringing gross changes and is going in the wrong direction. Social dialogue is fundamental to democracy. Government becoming shy of consultation and dialogue with trade unions, social representatives and stakeholders shows lack of confidence in their own ideas and is highly condemnable.”
He said the BMS is already in agitation on corporatisation and privatisation. “For our policymakers structural reforms and competition means privatisation. But we have recently experienced, in time of crisis private players and market were paralysed and public sector played the crucial role,” Upadhyay said.
Slamming the allocation of Rs 50,000 crore for privatisation of coal, he said seamless mining, auctioning 500 mining blocks including bauxite and coal blocks, rationalising stamp duty for that purpose is against national interest.
“Raising the FDI limit for the defence from 49 per cent to 74 per cent and corporatisation of ordinance factory board is objectionable. Putting six airports to auction for Rs13,000 crore and privatising power distribution companies in metro cities to facilitate large corporates is detrimental to India in the long run” he added.
He said privatisation of space, ISRO, space exploration also will have serious consequences to national security. “Even atomic energy is being converted to PPP mode which is a major step towards privatisation. Corporatisation and PPP are the routes for privatisation,” he said.
Bhartiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh (BPMS), an arm of BMS, too has expressed protest to Nirmala’s announcements in the defence sector.
Mukesh Singh, general secretary of BPMS, said, “We condemn and oppose these decisions of the government that have been taken unilaterally without consulting the federation, which was assured from time to time by all authorities including the Defence Minister. This act of the government at the time when the nation is engaged in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, not only amounts to dishonouring the commitment, but also establishes the arrogance of the administration and a derailment of the democratic process. BPMS calls upon the government to immediately roll back its decision, failing which it will launch a nationwide agitation, which will be at the risk and cost of the government. Under no circumstances shall BPMS tolerate such unilateral, unjust and bad decisions of the government.”