Resolution urging delinking HNL from HPC to be moved in assly

: Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala today said a resolution would be moved in the Assembly, urging the Centre to "delink Central Public Sector Undertaking Hindustan Newsprint Ltd from the "loss-making" Hindustan Paper Corporation (HPC).
Urging the Centre to drop the move to privatise HNL, the senior Congress leader alleged that the BJP-led government and Niti Ayog, without any consultation, were making "all efforts to sell off the company and its assets, including 700 acres of land worth thousands of crores of Rupees to big corporates."
"HNL has been a role model for all Central Public Undertakings in Kerala. A deliberate attempt is being made to make it a loss-making company and sell it off to big corporates. We will oppose it tooth and nail."

Chennithala said the state government had acquired the 700 acres of land for setting up the company.
"So the people of Kerala will not allow anyone to touch the company and its assets," he said, addressing a joint protest by trade unions, against the privatisation bid at HNL gate in Vellur.
The opposition leader claimed that all other "sick" companies under Kolkata-based HPC is running its operations from the money generated by profit-making HNL.

"So HNL should be de-linked from HPC and autonomy should be provided to it. We will move a resolution in the assembly in this regard. We are certain that all parties will support the resolution," he said.

Former minister Mons Joseph, MLA, said there would be a "mass uprising" in the area if the Centre goes ahead with its plan to sell the company and its assets to big corporates.
NITI Aayog, which was asked by the Modi government to prepare a list of PSUs that can be outrightly divested, has identified companies, including Hindustan Newsprint Limited, Joseph said.
INTUC state president R Chandrasekharan,leading the trade union's movement against the Centre's move, said the struggle against the bid to privatise HNL would be strengthened.
Kerala's ruling CPI(M)-led LDF government has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to drop the move to privatise HNL.