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Journalism of Courage
In its first face-off with the Centre after assuming power in Tamil Nadu, the DMK has decided to oppose the Government’s move to disinvest 10 per cent in the public sector Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC). The DMK will join the Left parties and the trade unions in their indefinite strike at the plant premises beginning July 4.
In a letter, Chief Minister and DMK president, M Karunanidhi, has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ‘‘reconsider the decision’’ to dilute government equity in NLC and NALCO.
During a brief interaction with reporters after the DMK district secretaries’ meeting, Karunanidhi said ‘‘any deviation’’ from the UPA’s Common Minimum Programme (CMP) ‘‘for whatever reasons would amount to diluting the already agreed principles.’’
The CMP’s stand was that profit-making PSUs would not be sold off by the Government and the Left parties’ views on the NLC disinvestment could not be ignored, Karunanidhi said. The NLC is located in Neyveli in Tamil Nadu.
He said he was not aware what views the ministers had expressed at the recent Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs as some of the DMK nominees in the Union Cabinet had been abroad. ‘‘But as the leader of the party and Chief Minister, I have sent a fax message to the Prime Minister today to review the decision on NLC,’’ Karunanidhi said.
He pointed out that during the recent Assembly election campaign in Tamil Nadu, Manmohan Singh had categorically stated that a like-minded Government both in Delhi and Chennai would augur well for the development of the state.
