Mamata Banerjee slams Centre's National Monetisation Policy, 'selling assets as per whims'

Cornering the centre on the launch of the National Monetisation Policy, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday slammed the PM Modi-led government over the newly launched asset monetisation policy, and said that these national assets that the central government wants to sell, belongs to the people of the nation and not to Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Launch of NMP Policy is “shocking and unfortunate”: Mamata Banerjee

TMC Supremo Banerjee termed the launch of the centre’s policy as a “shocking and unfortunate decision.” She furthered her attack, alleging that the money raised by selling those assets will be used during elections against opposition parties.

“We condemn this shocking and unfortunate decision. These assets belong to the country. It is the property of neither Modi nor the BJP. They (central government) can’t just sell a country’s assets as per their whims and fancies,” Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat Nabanna. The entire country will stand together and oppose this “anti-people” decision, she said.

“The BJP should be ashamed. No one has given them the right to sell our nation’s assets,” she said as reported by Banerjee. 

Opposition unites to condemn Centre’s National Monetisation Policy

The opposition has gone full throttle to condemn the government’s latest policy. Earlier in the day, Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi along with RJD top leader Tejashwi Yadav gheraoed the PM Modi government on the National Monetisation Policy. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday hit out at the NDA government and said that his party 'will fight against any attempt to turn democratic India into an East India Company conglomerate.' On the other hand, Congress’s Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP-led national government of "putting India up for sale" on Wednesday. "The very first thing they sold was respect and now #IndiaOnSale," tweeted the Congress leader.

Nirmala Sitharaman launches National Monetisation Pipeline worth Rs 6,00,000 Cr

On August 23, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Rs 6 lakh crore National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) that will unlock value in infrastructure assets across sectors ranging from power to road and railways. "Asset monetisation does not involve selling of land and it is about monetising brownfield assets," she said. Projects have been identified across sectors, with roads, railways and power being the top segments. "NMP estimates aggregate monetisation potential of Rs 6 lakh crores through core assets of central government over the four-year period from FY 2022 to FY 2025. Ownership of assets will remain with the government and there will be a mandatory hand-back. Asset monetisation will unlock resources and lead to value unlocking," she said.

Image: PTI