State concerned over disinvestment of Central PSU: Kerala Chief Minister

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Expressing concern over the disinvestment of Central PSUs in the state, including Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the Assembly on Tuesday the state government will try to protect the PSUs. “The MPs from the state, besides the government, are also pressurising the Centre to protect PSUs in the state,” Pinarayi said in reply to a calling attention motion by CPM’s K Suresh Kurup. “On several occasions, the government raised the issue before the Centre and demanded not to disinvest the PSUs which are running on profit. When CSL’s disinvestment came up, the government asked the Centre not to go for it,” Pinarayi said. 

With respect to Hindustan Newsprint Ltd (HNL), Vijayan said the government had already demanded the Centre to delink HNL from the parent Hindustan Paper Corporation and retain it as a Central PSU. A resolution was also passed by the Assembly earlier on this issue, he said. “Despite the concern raised by us, the Centre is going ahead with  the disinvestment,” he said.

Moving the motion, Kurup said CSL’s shares were being sold at a time the Defence Ministry sought Rs 20,000 crore to meet its capital and for defence procurement.  He said CSL has immensely contributed to the defence sector, especially in making war ships. He said there was no need to disinvest HLL Life Care as the company was always in profit.