Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

State MPs oppose privatisation of NRL

By Spl Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Nov 19 - BJP Lok Sabha MP Dilip Saikia on Tuesday opposed the proposal to sell the Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL).

Making a Zero Hour mention in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday Saikia said that while he supported the proposal to disinvest in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), he is opposed to the sale of NRL. The people of Assam have emotional attachment to NRL, which is also called the Accord refinery.

Meanwhile, the State Congress MPs on Tuesday staged a demonstration in the Parliament premises over the proposal to sale NRL. Four MPs led by PCC president Ripun Bora displaying placards raised slogans in front of the Parliament House ahead of the morning session. �NRL Heartbeat of Assam�, �Stop Privatisation of NRL and BPCL�, �Save Assam, Save India�, read the placards.

Interestingly, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said that the government is planning to sell state-run airline Air India and the oil marketing PSU BPCL by March 2020.

Sitharaman said that the strategic disinvestment of the two state-run companies is critical for the government to meet its disinvestment target of Rs 1 lakh crore for the current fiscal year. �We are moving on both with the expectation that we can complete them this year. The ground realities will play out,�

Meanwhile, three Lok Sabha MPs Radjeep Roy, Topon Gogoi and Kamakhya Prasad Tasa on Tuesday called on Union Finance Minister and urged her not to go ahead with sale of NRL. The Minister conveyed the government is exploring the option of whether NRL could be kept out of the disinvestment process.

Next Story