[Reader-list] State PSUs being prepared for disposal etc

[A. Mani]

____________________________________________________________


KERALA NEWSLETTER



UDF Govt Puts

State PSUs in Peril



N S Sajith



THE great thrust given to the state industrial sector, particularly on
reviving the Public Sector Units (PSUs) by the previous LDF government
during 2004-2011 was lauded by even its political opponents. Congress
leaders like union defense minister A K Antony publicly acclaimed the
LDF government’s moves to revive the PSUs and to synergize the central
and state PSUs strengths. The LDF government’s successful move to set
up new units like BrahMos Aerospace with the help of union defense
ministry was received with huge applause from the people cutting
across party lines.



The then industries minister in the LDF government, Elamaram Kareem,
strived hard to turn around the sick PSUS into profitable ones. His
enthusiastic moves finally resulted in these firms delivering huge
profits. The LDF government was successful in making 30 units out of
42 sick PSUs profitable. It had cleared the huge losses made by these
firms during the previous UDF government. They were turned around and
in 2010 the profit from these 32 units was Rs 239.75 crore.



The total turnover of these units in the year 2005 was Rs 1522.98
crore and due to the efforts of the LDF government it showed a
continuous upward trend till 2011 when it reached Rs 2190.73 crore.
This achievement was possible due to the help of disciplined
administration and efficient company management. The worker-management
relations were cordial during this period. A perfect understanding
between various departments and an ideal coordination between
different constituents was ensured by the LDF government. Successful
state-centre joint ventures were also a highlight of that time.



But with the assumption of power by the UDF government, things took a
downturn within just one year. The helmsman of industrial department
and general secretary of Indian Union of Muslim League has proved a
failure in administration. The losses of PSUs has now crossed Rs 100
crore according to unaudited reports of the 24 PSUs. The companies
that had made profits during the LDF regime are now saddled with huge
losses.



Metal Industries Limited, Artisans Development Corporation, Keltron
Component Limited, Kerala Ceramics, Handicrafts Development
Corporation, Autocast, Aleppey Co-operative Spinning Mill, Travancore
Cements, Steel Complex Limited, Kerala Electrical and Allied
Engineering Limited, Textile Corporation are some of the important
companies which are facing losses now. With no political commitment
towards strengthening of PSUs, this was bound to happen in a
Congress-led regime.



RETIREMENT

AGE INCREASED

The UDF government’s move to increase the retirement age of government
employees and teachers has been opposed with widespread protests all
over the state. The state finance minister K M Mani had announced on
the last day of the assembly session that the government is
contemplating to increase the retirement age to 60 years. Through a
budgetary decision, the government increased the retirement age from
55 to 56 in March this year. Now they want to hike it to 60 years.
While replying to the discussion on the Appropriation Bill, Mani also
said that the government is going to implement contributory pension
scheme for government employees and teachers.



The minister justified the decision to increase the retirement age as
it will be beneficial to the 34 lakhs of government employees and
teachers. He also said this is essential in Kerala because of higher
levels of life expectancy in the state. He asserted that the
government will not succumb to the pressure of the protesters. The
chief minister Oommen Chandi however said that a meeting of youth
organisations will be convened soon on this issue.



The announcement by the minister created huge uproar in the house. The
opposition leader V S Achuthanandan said that the move to increase the
retirement age and implement contributory pension scheme is highly
condemnable. He also demanded the UDF and KPCC leadership must
publicly pronounce their stand on this issue. DYFI state secretary and
MLA, T V Rajesh, said that the government’s move will reduce
employment opportunities for the youth in the state.



GOWRI AMMA SLAMS

MEDIA AND GOVT

Even as the UDF shows unusual unity in its motivated attack against
the CPI(M) in the name of T P Chandrashekharan’s murder case,
surprisingly Gowri Amma, JSS leader and one of the oldest serving
politicians in Kerala politics, has launched a scathing attack on the
media and the government to their attempt to defame the CPI (M). She
said that the media stuck to its past form in trying to tear down the
CPI(M).



 “The CPI(M) has a wide mass base in Kerala. The number of seats it
gets in the election shows its strength and influence. I do not
believe that CPI(M) would have killed Chandrashekharan who was
expelled from the Party. So far the police have not succeeded in
finding the killers and those who perpetrated the conspiracy. A fresh
investigation is needed in this case. The probe should be impartial.
The current probe is not at all sincere”, she told reporters in
Alappuzha recently.



The JSS leader felt that the CPI(M) has become strengthened under the
leadership of state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and added that much of
the media attack can be traced to the fact that it is deadly against
Pinarayi Vijayan.



Gowri Amma served as a minister in the LDF governments headed by EMS
in 1957 and 1967 and Nayanar in 1980 and 1987. She was expelled from
the CPI(M) for anti-party activities in 1994 and formed Janadhipatya
Samrakshana Samithi (JSS) to join the UDF.



____________________________________________________________


Best

A. Mani




-- 
A. Mani
CU, ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS
http://www.logicamani.in
http://www.logicamani.co.cc