Take Labour Ministry's views before privatising PSUs: Ola

Sis Ram Ola said it would be in the fitness of things if Labour Ministry's views were elicited before any decision on disinvestment.

Opposing privatisation of profit-making Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), Labour Minister Sis Ram Ola on Monday favoured taking into consideration his ministry's opinion before taking any decision regarding disinvestment.

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Shortly after assuming charge of his ministry, Ola told reporters that it would be in the fitness of things if the Labour Ministry's views were elicited before any decision on disinvestment was taken.

"However, in my personal opinion, there should be no disinvestment of profit-making PSUs," he said and disfavoured selling of national assets for a song.

Observing that workers and labourers in the country were neglected, Ola said the Congress-led coalition at the Centre would try to solve problems relating to workers by taking the industry into confidence.

To a question, the Minister said he did not feel that there would be too much of an interference from the Left parties in the functioning of his department. "We will work as per a Common Minimum Programme," he said.

Admitting that unemployment was a major problem in the country, he said one man alone cannot remove it and it needed a joint and concerted effort in policy framing and implementation.