‘Monetisation’ plan: India put on sale by BJP govt, say workers’ unions; call for nationwide protest on Oct 7

Calling the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) – which aims to collect Rs 6 lakh crore over the next 4 years through ‘asset monetization’ – a scheme that puts India on sale, workers’ unions have announced a nationwide protest against it on October 7.

The NMP was announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on August 23, 2021.

In a joint statement, over a dozen workers’ unions termed the scheme announced by the Modi government as “anti-national”.

The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions, supported by the Independent Federations and Associations and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) said, “Let us spread among the mass of the common people much broader awareness through an intensive campaign against this anti-people, anti-national regime and the crime being committed by them on the national interests and lives and livelihood of the people.”

Outlining its program, the statement issued by the CTUs reads, “Countrywide national protest day through massive joint demonstration/ agitation/mobilizations at least up to district level on 07th October 2021.”

“National Convention of Workers at New Delhi against the anti-national, anti-people policies of the government with a focus on the latest exercise of loot and plunder on people - the NMP - on a date after Dussehra,” added the statement.

Sitharaman has defended the NMP, saying the ownership of the assets will remain with the government, and therefore it is not outright privatization.

However, the workers’ union say nobody is convinced with this justification.

Going a step further, the Modi government has asked all Gram Panchayats to monetize their assets such as common lands, water bodies, common buildings etc. to add to their finances.

The diabolic effect this will have on rural society can only be guessed, said CTU, adding, “Common sense will tell you that the immediate effect of this latest government move will be price-rise for the common man for all the infrastructural services being leased out to private players.”