CITU starts 238-km long march to save PSUs

The CITU, the trade union wing of the CPI(M) on Saturday started a 238-km long march from Chittaranjan in West Burdwan district to Kolkata to protest the Centre's decision to privatise Central public sector units.

The 283-km long march of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) will culminate with a public meeting in Kolkata on December 11.

The march started from the Chittaranjan Locomotive Factory, a railway undertaking with the slogan "Save Public Sector", to protest the Union governments decision to sell stake and privatise public sector undertakings.

Carrying posters and placards, thousands of Left workers along with employees of PSUs marched on the streets of Chittranjan and shouted slogans against the BJP government.

The BJP government at the Centre is trying to sell all public sector undertakings, already several PSUs have been closed down and sold. The decision has not only led to "unemployment but has also thrown the lives of family members of workers in an uncertainty", Anadi Sahoo, Secretary of CITU West Bengal, said while addressing the march.

"This march is being organised against the anti-people economic policies of the Central government. The centre has to revoke its decision or else we will launch much bigger movement across the country," Sahoo said.

The Union Cabinet earlier this month approved sale of government's stake in blue-chip oil firm BPCL, Shipping Corporation of India and cargo mover Concor, and decided to cut shareholding in select public sector firms below 51 per cent to boost revenue collections.