FM confident of managing differences over disinvestment

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today exuded confidence of managing differences among some allies over disinvestment policy of the UPA government.

"I have managed all the coalition partners for the last five years. I will handle the situation in the same manner, as I have done it in the past," he told journalists at Women's Press Corps when asked about opposition by a key UPA ally over disinvestment.

The government has expressed its intent to dilute its stake in public sector undertaking, but will retain the majority control. In fact, NHPC has already been listed in bourses, while Oil India is in the process of getting listed.

However, some allies like Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is reported to have opposed the disinvestment policy at the full Planning Commission's meeting.

Pranab said, "I have carried UPA government coalition government with the backing of the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi for the full five years. In the same way, I will be able to manage it. After all, what is politics? Politics is to manage the contradictions and bring convergence among the divergence."

When asked about refusal of West Bengal government to give land to Infosys and Wipro, he said this is unfortunate. "Infosys and Wipro, if they have investment in West Bengal... we should have it. I will talk to the state government authorities and try to see if some appropriate land is made available( to them).

He added that Information Technology industry always provides good jobs and if Infosys and Wipro start their operations in the state, at least 4-5,000 jobs would be created.