BJD opposes divestment of National Aluminum Company

Government's plan to divest 10 per cent of its stake in navratna firm National Aluminum Company (NALCO) was today opposed in the Rajya Sabha by the BJD which said profit-making firms should not be sold.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Dilip Kumar Tirkey (BJD) said Nalco was a profit-making PSU and warned of labour unrest if the government went ahead with the divestment plan.

He said BJD and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik were opposed to disinvestment and urged the government to withdraw such plans. He said the government should choose loss making PSUs for stake sale.

Presently, Government of India holds 80.93 per cent equity in Nalco.

Sanjiv Kumar (JMM) raised the issue of Fertilizer Corp of India's (FCI) Sindri plant in Jharkhand lying shut since 2002.

He said during the Lok Sabha polls the BJP had promised to reopen the plant on top priority. In assembly polls, BJP again promised to reopen the plant in 100 days. But that deadline has passed and the plant is yet to restart, he said.

He said he suspected that the plant may be given to private players and warned that such a move will be opposed tooth and nail.

Mohd Nadimul Haque (AITC) demanded a special category of Arjuna Awards for differently-abled athletes. This award, he said, should be named after ace swimmer Masud-ur-Rehman Baidya, who was double amputee and died on April 26 at the age of 46 years.

Pramod Tiwari (Cong) said attempts are being made to divide the country on religious and caste lines and impose dictatorship.

Parties in the ruling NDA have demanded stripping Muslims of their constitutional right to vote, he said without mentioning Shiv Sena. Such attempts are unconstitutional and will not be allowed, he added.

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