Speak to employees before selling any state-owned firm: Mamata

Kolkata, Nov 23 : While ruling out divestment of any unit under her ministry, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked the government to consider giving shares of state-run companies it planned to disinvest to the employees.

"I think a uniform system should be laid down for divestment of public sector units (PSUs). The government should first call the employees' unions of those units and talk to them about the modalities. The unions and the government should come to an agreement. And then the shares should be offered to the employees," Banerjee said in an interview Sunday on Bengali news television channel Star Ananda.

Banerjee said her party Trinamool Congress was opposed to large scale divestment. "But I have a balanced view. If there is no disinvestment, from where will the government get the money for its social projects like the 100 days' work scheme?"

But Banerjee said she was not game for disinvesting any of the railways units. "The consent of the individual ministers are taken before carrying out divestment of any units under his department. So even if the government wants to divest shares of any railways unit, I will say no when my consent is sought."

Banerjee said there should be no divestment of PSUs which are of strategic importance.