The government is now thinking of closing the sick PSUs. It is part of the neo-liberal policies the government is aggressively implementing.
It is understood that the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) has written to all the Ministries asking them to try revival of sick PSUs or close down them. The ministries are instructed to intimate whether the sick industry under their ministry is to be closed. It is also stated that the Prime Minister’s office also is involved in taking such a decision.
It is to be specially noted that the present Heavy Industries Minister Praful Patel under whom the PSUs are, while he was the Civil Aviation Minister has through his anti-PSU actions had made the Air India sick. Now he wants that all the sick PSUs be closed.
There are 38 PSUs, out of a total of about 240, which are sick. The government policy seems to be that through its policy decisions and actions make the PSU sick and then close it or hand over it to private companies at cheap rates.
The entire PSU workers have to unitedly oppose and defeat the government move to close down the PSUs.