A day after Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Centre’s policy of asset monetisation to monetise Rs 6 lakh crore worth of state-owned assets over the next four years, the Trinamool Congress strongly criticised the Centre alleging that the Modi government is robbing the livelihood of the people of the country.

Speaking at a press conference, Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said, “The government didn’t discuss it in Parliament. The decision was taken unilaterally without even consulting the opposition. Previously the Centre had promised to lease for a short period of time but now we find that it is being leased out for a period of 25 to 30 years.”

“Though the Centre is saying that they are not selling it off but things are arranged in such a way that it is akin to selling only. This will allow the government resources to go into private hands. This is a government of the corporate, for the corporate and by the corporate. This is not a government for the people but the Narendra Modi government is only implementing those things that the corporates are telling him to do. The government has become bankrupt,” he added.

The Central government plans to monetise Rs 6 lakh crore worth of state-owned assets over the next four years under its asset monetisation programme, announced Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday. The privatisation plan was announced in the 2021/2022 budget to boost public finances. Moreover, through the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), the Centre aims to sell gas pipelines, roads, railway assets and warehousing facilities among a host of other assets.

Several assets of the state including Darjeeling’s ‘Heritage’ Toy Train will pass into the hands of private players. The corporate company will sell the train tickets on the basis of a 30 or 50 year contract with the railways. Overall, the private company, which has acquired the ‘marketing rights’ of the toy train, will seek revenue from various sources such as advertising on its other services, trains and stations. They will develop the infrastructure of the station and build commercial infrastructure by understanding the needs in the adjacent railway area.

Not just the toy train of Darjeeling. Under the Asset Monetization Project, railways, national highways, power generation and transportation, oil and gas pipelines to 25 airports, port infrastructure like Kolkata-Haldia will be handed over to various corporate entities for commercial use. This list includes even sports stadiums.

In all cases, however, the private sector will only be allowed to use these government resources for a specified period of time. Ownership will be in the hands of the government. Despite the opposition’s allegations, the Modi government is gradually paving the way for the sale of government property.

BJP leader Samik Bhattacharya, however, refuted the Trinamool allegation. “During the pandemic situation when economies are sinking India is one of the countries where the economy is showing signs of improving. We cannot turn our face away from the world and survive. The government’s job is not to do business but to create an environment for doing business so that the people do their business properly and the common people can have a proper livelihood. This is what the Modi government is doing,” Bhattacharya said.