The Hindu : National : You get majority in Lok Sabha, Pranab tells Left

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You get majority in Lok Sabha, Pranab tells Left

Special Correspondent

New Delhi: During the calling attention in the Rajya Sabha on disinvestment of government shares in public sector undertakings in the Rajya Sabha, Union Finance Ministrer Pranab Mukherjee initially praised the valuable support of the Left parties to the first tenure of the UPA government and disagreed with the description of a Left member that it was bondage. Even during that time, the government had disinvested in seven companies, he said.

Responding to Tapan Sen (CPI-M), who asked whether the stock market was the “holy place” to assess the worth of a Central Public Sector Undertaking, Mr. Mukherjee sought to know what other mechanism was available to carry out the task.

As to the charge of D. Raja (CPI) that the move was unconstitutional and a violation of the Directive Principles, the Minister disagreed and in a lighter vein suggested that in such a case it could be challenged in a court of law.

While agreeing with the Left’s ideological opposition to disinvestment, he said that at the same time talk of dilution leading to losing of majority status depended on future governments. “You get 272 [majority in the Lok Sabha]” and then can reverse the current moves.

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