Thiruvananthapuram : Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to the Prime Minister urging to roll back Centre's decision to handover the PSU Hindustan Lifecare Ltd(HLL) into private hands.
Letter highlights :
The Centre’s adamance that it will sell HLL to only private parties undermines ethos of cooperative federalism. In drawing that kind of decision, the Central govt forgets the Constitutional provision that allows State participation in such matters.
HLL is situated on land given by the State government in view of advancing the public sector. Given that circumstance, Kerala has the right to retain HLL as State’s Public Sector Unit(PSU) that’s free from the Centre’s hold. The land and assets owned by HLL should therefore be returned to Kerala or alternatively the State should be allowed participation in its auction.
Incidentally, the Centre’s letter blocking Kerala from auction comes at a time when the State government is preparing to make its bidding.
Besides, as per the Preliminary Information Memorandum for HLL sale and invitation at global level for bidders, the Central government, or central PSUs or cooperative societies wielding over 51 percent stake cannot participate at the auction. However, the document nowhere stipulates that States or State PSUs cannot take part in the bid, CM pointed out in the letter.
