Sonia Gandhi said privatisation will defeat the objective for which coach factory had been set up.

Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said the government was seeking to secretively "privatise" the Modern Coach Factory in Rae Bareli, adding that it has caused uncertainty among employees and their families.

Raising the issue during zero hour in the Lok Sabha, Mrs Gandhi said that privatization leads to thousands of people getting unemployed and is against the objectives for which the plant had been set up.

"The real concern is that they have chosen Modern Coach Factory for the experiment," the Rae Bareli lawmaker said, adding that "Those who don't understand the real meaning of corporatisation... It is actually the first step towards privatisation. They are selling the country's assets to handful private players at a throwaway price. This will leave thousands unemployed."

She added that the factory had been set up by the UPA government to boost manufacturing in the country and is the "most modern plant" that makes good quality coaches at cheap prices.

"The employees have also not been taken into confidence. It is a matter of sadness that their and their families' future is in danger," she said.

"I urge the government to protect the Modern Coach Factory and other public sector undertakings or PSUs and give respect to the farmers and their families," the senior Congress leader added.

The UPA chairperson also expressed concerns over the condition of some public sector undertakings, including Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.

"Their condition is not hidden from anyone," she said.



"Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had termed Public Sector Undertakings as temples of modern India. Today, it is sad to see that these temples are under threat," she said.

Mrs Gandhi said privatisation leads to priceless assets going to a few private hands at very cheap prices and thousands getting unemployed.

She also expressed unhappiness over BJP-led NDA government's decision to merge rail budget with general budget.