The Hindu : CITU not against foreign investment

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 10, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

CITU not against foreign investment

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Jan. 9. The CITU is not against private and foreign investment in the State but it should be without any conditions, the CITU State general secretary, P. K. Gurudasan, has said.

Addressing a press conference here today in connection with the proposed siege of Secretariat and Collectorates on January 28, he asserted that the CITU cannot agree to the reported assurances being given by the State Government for investing in the State.

``We welcome investment and are favouring it, but we are against mortgaging the natural resources, including water bodies and riverbeds of the State and bringing the public sector undertakings under the control of multinationals. It will only result in draining of the natural resources and lead to the days of British rule,'' the CITU leader said.

Mr. Gurudasan said the Government was trying to mortgage the State for the loan from the Asian Development Bank(ADB). The Global Investors' Meet (GIM) to be attended by the Union Disinvestment Minister, Arun Shourie, and other Union Ministers should not be to surrender the natural resources and strong work force of the State to the multinationals, he said.

The State's economy cannot be protected without protecting the income of 85 lakh workers and farmers of Kerala. The CITU demanded that the Government change its policy. As many as 5 lakh workers and their families would participate in the Secretariat and Collectorate siege, he added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Document forgery case: former scribe arrested

Endosulfan: VS call to disband probe panel

Centre offers to sell Aralam farm to State

CPI seeks more transparency

CITU not against foreign investment

Many tourism projects may come up at GIM