Assam Government will not invest in PSUs anymore, says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Assam Government is in no mood to invest in public sector undertakings (PSUs). The government's job is not to operate industries, it will only create a conducive environment in the State for companies and industrialists to set up industries here, said Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during the Question Hour on the first day of the autumn session of the Assam Legislative Assembly (ALA) today.

The Chief Minister said this in reply to a question posed by All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA Abdul Baten Khandakar. The MLA wanted to know if the State Government would take any steps to revamp the closed or defunct PSUs in the State. State-owned corporations or enterprises are recognized as PSUs.

In his reply, Chief Minister Sarma said that there were 41 PSUs in the State, out of which 17 had closed down while three were lying defunct. "The government will not be investing in PSUs anymore. When these PSUs shut down, their human resources become a liability for the government. The government has to invest funds for the rehabilitation of these human resources. So, as a policy, the government will not be setting up industries. Rather, it will invest in profitable ventures like oil, refineries etc," he said.

The Chief Minister further said, "Government-owned PSUs have IAS officers at the helm of affairs. These IAS officers are not experts in this field. They are not industrialists, and neither is the government. So instead of investing in PSUs, the government will invest in the health and education sectors and developing road infrastructure.

"The Government of India is moving towards a mixed economy. We will provide logistic support to the private parties who want to invest in setting up industries in the State. The country is moving away from socialism, which was incorporated in the Constitution of India by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. I do not understand the philosophy of Karl Marx and Lenin."

At this, Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia objected and said that socialism was still a part of the Constitution of India. Hence, it was not right to make such statements on the floor of the Assembly.

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