People's Democracy

Pandhe Opposes Bidding For Coal Blocks

Dr M K Pandhe, president, Centre of India Trade Unions and Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M) has sent the following letter to Dr Manmohan Singh, prime minister, on July 24, 2007 regarding the gross violation of Coal Nationalisation Act, 1970

THERE are disquieting reports that the government is planning to allow competitive bidding for coal blocks, as per the recommendations of Group of Ministers (GoM). I am constrained to invite your attention to the gross violation of Coal Nationalisation Act, 1970, inherent in such a decision, which would be opposed tooth and nail by employees of Coal India. As a matter of fact, in a major convention of all central trade unions in coal sector, scheduled to be held on August 26, 2007 in Kolkata, misuse of captive coal mines by private miners for purposes other than cement, power and steel is going to one of the burning issues for deliberation and future action by the TUs. Under the circumstances any such move of back door privatisation by the government may lead to serious deterioration in the industrial relation in the coal sector.

I, therefore, request you to kindly ensure that Coal Nationalisation Act, as passed in parliament is not diluted in any manner through some executive fiat. (INN)