EDITORIAL-- DAK JAGRITI- FEB 2015
RAILWAYS, DEFENCE AND POSTAL FOR SALE
WE SHALL PREVENT IT AT ANY COST
NDA Government which came to power at Centre seven months back, has proved that it is a Govt. of the Corporates, by the Corporates and for the Corporates. In the Central Govt. employees sector none of the issues pertaining to the employees are settled - DA merger, Interim Relief, Inclusion of GDS under 7th CPC, Scrapping of New Pension Scheme, Casual Labourers issue, Cadre Restructuring in Postal, all are pending. Over and above this, the Modi Government is moving fast ahead with privatisation and large scale outsourcing of the core functions of the Central Government departments. The very existence of Government-run Central Government departments are under threat.
On 22nd August 2014, the Modi Govt. amended the 1991 Govt. of India’s Policy resolution, replacing the words “Railway Transport” as “Railway Operations”. Simultaneously, they also announced the induction of 100% FDI in Railways including operation, construction, design and maintenance. Induction of FDI and consequent privatisation of Railways will endanger the job security of lakhs of Railway employees.
The Defence production sector went in for partial privatisation when the UPA Government allowed FDI to the extent of 26% whereby the foreign arms manufacturers were permitted access to the vital defence sector, disregarding the national security perspective. What is now decided by the present NDA Government is to allow 49% FDI in defence production. The Government has decided to set up a Corporation to carry out the functions of 41 ordnance factories under the Ministry of Defence which is a big move to privatise defence production sector. Eventually this will lead to closure of department - controlled defence production units, unable to face the unscrupulous competition from the Transnational Corporations, driving thousands of Defence employees and workers to unemployment and poverty.
The Task Force set up by the Government under the Chairmanship of Shri. T.S.R. Subramanian, former Cabinet Secretary to the Govt. of India, has recommended to convert the core functions of the Postal Department into a Corporation called “India Post (Financial and other services) Corporation”. Under this holding company five more subsidiary corporations will be formed, on the lines the Telecom was made into BSN, VSNL and MTNL. The entire social obligations will be thrust upon the Postal Department while private players will eventually take the creamy part of Postal department such as Savings Bank, PLI/RPLI, Parcels, Packets and Logistics etc. In the longer run, the public sector company so formed would be made to incur losses and ultimate closure, as is happening in the case of BSNL. Lakhs of Postal employees will be forced to go on VRS or will become jobless.
Thus it is very clear that Modi Government has thrown a challenge to the Central Government employees in general and to Railway, Defence and Postal Workers in particular. We must accept the challenge and defeat the nefarious design of the Modi Government, with determination and with a do or die attitude. We must not entertain any doubt of our ultimate victory in this battle.
