The National Monetisation Plan targets Rs 6 lakh crore of underutlised infrastructure assets.
The RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and the Left-backed Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) today came out strongly against the Centre's Rs 6 lakh-crore National Monetisation Pipeline, a day after it was announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The two trade unions, bearing different ideologies, today expressed their opposition to the plan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi government plan saying it went against the interests of the nation and workers.
National infrastructure assets worth Rs 6 lakh crore across the rail, road, and power sectors will be monetised over four years under the monetisation plan, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said yesterday at a media briefing. It concerns brownfield assets where investments are already being made and where they are either languishing or not fully monetised or under-utilised, Ms Sitharaman said.
"This is like selling the family jewellery," BMS General Secretary Binay Kumar Sinha told NDTV, reacting to the move. The BMS is the trade union wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological mothership of the ruling BJP.
Speaking from the other end of the ideological spectrum, CITU General Secretary Tapan Sen said the decision to "sell government assets" was a "very destructive decision".
"This is an anti-worker decision. Their rights will further weaken...It is not in favour of the country and is against government workers," Mr Sen said.
Ms Sitharaman had yesterday emphasised that the National Monetisation Pipeline would not involve "selling away the lands" but about brownfield assets "that need to be better monetised", while the ownership will remain with the Centre.
Private participants will have to return the assets to the government after a pre-determined period of time. The money obtained through the monetisation exercise will be channelised into infrastructure building, according to the plan.