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EYE on INDIA February 05, 2021 | The Indian Eye 12

INDIATALKS

Passenger trains continue to ply on the shimla-kalka route despite heavy snowfall in shimla on friday. (ANI)

Jagan writes to modi about udf says it will bring law on

rinL’s disinvestment plans sabarimala

ndhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on erala Pradesh Congress Committee President Mullappally
Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi request- Ramachandran on Saturday said that if United Democrat-
Aing him to reconsider the disinvestment plans of RINL Kic Front (UDF) wins the upcoming Assembly elections in
(Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd) Visakhapatnam and explore other the state, it will make legislation in connection with women’s entry
opportunities to put the plant back on track. in Sabarimala.
In a letter, Reddy said the recent decision of the Cabinet Com- Addressing media in Kochi, Ramachandran said the matter of
mittee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) which has given in-principle Sabarimala will be a major issue in the UDF election manifesto
approval for 100 per cent strategic disinvestment of the government for the upcoming election. “The Sabarimala matter will be a major
of India’s shareholding in RINL, Visakhapatnam, along with man- issue in the UDF election manifesto. When the UDF comes to
agement control by way of privatization has become a cause of con- power, the legislation will be made in connection with Sabarimala.
cern for the state government. “RINL is the largest public-sector Our position is to move forward without hurting the rituals of the
industrial unit in the state creating employment opportunities for believers,” said the KPCC president.
close to around 20,000 people directly and many other indirect em- He asked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to explain why the
ployment opportunities in the city of Vishakhapatnam,” he stated. government is not ready to make legislation on the issue.
The Chief Minister recalled that the plant had a good perfor- “It is factually incorrect to say that the state government is le-
mance between 2002 to 2015 earning profits with positive net worth gally unable to make legislation,” he said.
but had pragmatically turned-around in 2002 after being reported The Congress leader said that in Kerala, the Left is trying to go
to Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) as a ahead by appeasing the majority and pitting the minorities against
sick company. each other. “Accurate information has been received about the
“The company has around 19,700 acres of land currently and CPI(M)-BJP relationship behind this. If the people are late in re-
the valuation of these lands alone could exceed one lakh crore ru- alizing the attempt of communal polarization, the state will be in
pees due to the location of the plant in the urban area and rapidly great danger,” he added.
expanding urban sprawl,” Reddy wrote. He alleged that the Kerala government does nothing for the
The Chief Minister noted that RINL currently has a capacity of people, and added, “While educated youth are eligible for PSC
7.3 million tonnes and has taken up plant modernization and ca- and await appointment, they are giving preference to the relatives
pacity expansion recently which made the plant borrow loans from of the CPI-M leaders. Fishermen and those working in the unorga-
banks to take up the expansion. nized and traditional sectors are being neglected.”

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