Former Congress President and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday raised an issue of public importance during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha and opposed privatisation and ‘company-karan’ process of public sector undertakings especially under Railways.
“There are talks about ‘company-karan (corporatisation) of six railway units. These also include the modern coach factory in Rae Bareli…..Corporatisation is actually the beginning of privatisation,” Gandhi said.
She also flayed the government for doing away with the presentation of a separate Railway Budget in parliament. “Presenting Railway Budget in Parliament separately was a unique and old tradition. Why this government has done away with this system?,” she said amid thumping of desks by her party colleagues.
The Rae Bareli lawmaker said: “This strategy (of corporatistion) is only a methodology to help big corporate houses to get hold country’s assets”.
“Isse hazaron hazaron log be-rozgar ho jayenge (This will render thousands of people jobless),” Gandhi said lamenting the government decision to select the Rae Bareli coach factory for the same process.
“This project is among the many successful projects in the country….and also symbolises the initiatives taken by the UPA government under the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to encourage indigenous projects,” the former Congress president said.
Moreover, she said Rae Bareli’s coach factory is the ‘most modern unit’ of the Indian Railways. “It is in fact famous for making the best railway coach factory at economical rates,” Gandhi said.
The Congress leader further said, “It is a matter of sadness that government’s decision has jeopardised the future of a large number of workers and their families and it is surprising why the government is taking such initiatives and taking steps to corporatise the state-run units”.
