AGAINST PRIVATISATION: G. Sudhakaran, Minister for Cooperation, inaugurating a meeting of the BSNL Employees Union central executive committee in Kozhikode on Monday. - Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

KOZHIKODE: Cooperation and Devaswom Minister K. Sudhakaran has alleged that public sector units in the country were under threat from multinational corporations.

"There is a grand design at privatisation," he said. Mr. Sudhakaran was speaking after inaugurating the three-day Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) Central Executive Committee meeting at Town Hall here on Monday.

"The threat of privatisation hangs like Damocles sword. And at any juncture PSUs could face takeover. Under the circumstances, the protest programmes of BSNL employees' union has great relevance," he said.

The VSNL was sold to the Tatas in the most casual manner, he alleged. Lauding the role of Malabar in nurturing the Left movement and organised protests, Mr. Sudhakaran flayed Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram for imposing tax on cooperative savings.

President of the BSNL employees' union J.N. Mishra presided.

Mayor M. Bhaskaran, who welcomed the delegates, spoke of the grave challenges faced by BSNL and exhorted the employees to make it the number one telecom service provider.

Union general secretary V.A.N. Namboodiri, CITU State general secretary M.M. Lawrence, C.H. Ashokan (Federation of State Employees and Teachers Organisations), M. Krishnan (Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers), A. K. Ramesh (Bank Employees Federation of India) among others were present at the inaugural session. A seminar `Facing the challenges before BSNL' will be held on Tuesday.

Later, briefing media persons on the sidelines of the conference, Mr. Sudhakaran said Malabar Devaswom Board would be set up during the tenure of the LDF Government. He conceded that there were malpractices, as temple committees were managing many temples.

On the entry of women to Sabarimala Temple, the Minister said his view was that where men had entry, women too should have access.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail