Left, Cong MLAs walk out over divestment of Metro Dairy

The Left and Congress MLAs on Monday staged a walk out from the Assembly to protest against the Speaker's refusal to allow an adjournment motion on the divestment of a dairy firm.

CPI(M) MLA Sujan Chakraborty moved the adjournment motion seeking a discussion on the sale of the government's 47 per cent stake in Metro Dairy Ltd to its private partner Keventer Agro, which owns its 53 per cent share, in 2017.

Speaker Biman Banerjee rejected the motion saying it was not according to the rules of the House.

Following this, the CPI(M) MLA and Manoj Chakrbaorty of the Congress trooped to the well of the House and shouted slogans.

The CPI(M)-led Left Front and Congress members then staged a walk out.

The West Bengal cabinet on August 23, 2017 had given its nod to divest the state government's equity in the Metro Dairy and sell it to Keventer Agro.

Metro Dairy, the country's first dairy project in public-private partnership model that began in the early 1990s, was set up as a tripartite venture among the West Bengal Milk Producers Federation Ltd, Keventer Agro and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

The NDDB later sold its 10 per cent stake to Keventer Agro.

The state government owns the majority share of the West Bengal Milk Producers Federation Ltd.