Prefer to invest in private sector, not PSUs: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

GUWAHATI: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma told the assembly on Monday that the present state government prefers private sector investments to public sector units as it neither “subscribes to socialism” nor “believes in Karl Marx, Lenin and Stalin”.
While replying to a question on state’s plans on reviving the state’s dying PSUs, Sarma said his government will instead invest public funds in setting up medical colleges, hospitals and infrastructure rather than in PSUs. “This government’s policy is that we do not want to set up any industry in the public sector because this government does not subscribe to socialism. Public sector industry was the concept of the socialist movement. We will not set up industries. Instead of investing in the public sector, we will invest in health, education, and anganwadi,” he said.
We're not industrialists: CM
Investing in loss-making public sector units and depriving people of roads, education and bridges is not our policy," he said.
Adding that he would want investment from the private sector in industry, he said, "We want the government to control law and order, take care of education and health. Industry is not the job of the government. We have no intention to run industries because we are not industrialists. When public sector units run into losses, it's the people who face difficulties. Their problems became a human problem owing to repeated losses."
"Our IAS officers are not competent to run a company. They are not industrialists. Instead, we want to create an atmosphere of investment," he added.
Sarma's statement was in response to a supplementary question by Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi who wanted to know the government's plan about the last remaining 21 of 40 state-owned industries in the state.
Sarma explained, "Already government of India has moved away from a mixed economy. Why will we set up an industry? Setting up an industry entails investment of Rs 100 Crore and gain incur loss of Rs 60 crore and there will be agitation. Instead of this, we will set up a medical college with an investment of Rs 200 crore or build an overbridge. Efficiency is not associated with setting up industries. There are people who will set up industry and there are policies for the same."
Leader of opposition in the assembly and Congress MLA, Debabrata Saikia, said the word socialism is a part of the Constitution and wondered how a government could reject socialism when this word has not been amended in the Constitution.
Earlier, PED minister Bimal Bora said Assam has 41 PSUs of which 17 were declared closed between 2005-06 and 2010-11.