Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to withdraw from the decision to transfer HLL (Hindustan Latex Limited), a public sector undertaking, to the private sector only.
The Center had sent a letter to the state government banning it from participating in the auction to take over the for-profit HLL. According to the preliminary information list prepared in connection with the sale of HLL Life Care and the invitation submitted globally for those interested in participating in the auction, neither the Central Government nor the Central Public Sector Undertakings or Co-operative Societies with 51 per cent or more stake can participate in the auction.
It does not say that states or public sector entities under the states are not eligible to participate. The matter was brought to the notice of the Prime Minister.
The insistence that HLL, which is currently operating at a huge profit, should only be sold to the private sector is undermining the principles of cooperative federalism. The letter demanded that the land and properties owned by HLL be handed over to Kerala or allowed to participate in the auction.
English Summary: HNL privatization