India Inc not welcome on PSU recast board: Left

‘‘Finance Minister P. Chidambaram did not tell us who will be on the board, but we have ensured whom it will not include,’’ said a prominent Left source. ‘‘We asked the FM if the Tatas, Ambanis or Birlas were among proposed members and he assured us, ‘No, they are not’,’’ he added.

In discussions with the finance minister, senior members of Left parties expressed their concerns that inclusion of industrialists and foreign experts in any form on the PSU board would hamper decision-making majorly.

‘‘We have absolutely insisted on not creating a situation where certain business groups will hold sway. So, if any members of UPA feel bold enough to include industry representation, we will not welcome it,’’ the sources said.

The PSU board was scheduled for its last Cabinet discussion on September 29, but a final announcement on the roadmap for reconstruction and the board’s constitution are yet to be finalised.

Though Left party sources said the board’s constitution follows ‘‘directly from the CMP,’’ its proposed membership will remain a secret since previous controversies were ‘‘blown right out of proportion”.

Besides, membership on boards is a ‘‘delicate issue’’ ever since the Planning Commission was forced to first show its foreign consultants, then its committees, the door.

‘‘No names were discussed, no names were discussed,’’ is all a senior UPA member would say on discussions over the PSU board’s proposed membership.

As a result, the board’s constitution is still in limbo, though the much-awaited roadmap for public sector reconstruction looks well on its way.

‘‘We still welcome NGOs and consultants retired from PSUs,’’ said key Left members, ‘‘But we will not allow private industry and never, ever let a foreign expert fiasco happen again,’’ they claimed.