KOCHI: The Union Government is considering a bailout package to help bleeding public sector telecom operators BSNL and MTNL escape the debt trap, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Heavy Industries Arjun Ram Meghwal said here on Monday.
“There is a proposal to merge BSNL and MTNL, which some trade unions are opposing. We are working on the proposal. The government is considering a revival package to save these public sector entities from the debt trap. The government wants to promote BSNL and the Finance Ministry is working on the proposal,” he told reporters.
Refusing to acknowledge the economic slowdown, Meghwal said it was only a temporary phase. “The government is committed to making the country a five-trillion US dollar economy by 2024. Finance Minister Nirmala Seetharaman is meeting representatives of the automobile industry regularly to address their grievances. All bottlenecks in the growth of the economy will be cleared. The International Monetary Fund has predicted that India will be the third-largest economy by 2030. That means the country’s economy is in very good health,” he said.
Presenting the report card of the Union Government on completion of 100 days in office, Meghwal said the removal of special provisions under Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir and abrogation of Article 35A were bold decisions to bring the state to the mainstream of the country.
“This will help to improve the socio-economic infrastructure of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.Meghwal said an inter-ministerial task force has been formed to finalise the infrastructure projects worth `100 lakh crore in the pipeline, which would be implemented during the next five years. “This will help create better road, rail and water connectivity, apart from the development of airports and seaports,” he said.
“On the social justice front, the decision to abolish the regressive practice of triple talaq has brought relief to married Muslim women. The government amended the POCSO Act to ensure death penalty for sexual assault on children. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill prohibits discrimination and defines the rights of transgenders. The code on wages that ensures equal pay to men and women and the pension scheme for small traders are progressive steps,” said Meghwal.