Left parties will meet in New Delhi Monday to give a final shape to their strategy on the crucial issue of disinvestment of Public Sector Units, with the government planning to divest its stake in some non-navratna companies.
The four parties -- Communist Party of India-Marxist, Communist Party of India, Revolutionary Socialist Party and Forward Bloc -- have been opposing the sale of public stake in profit making navratna companies and have boycotted the UPA-Left Coordination Committee meetings to stall Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited disinvestment.
Opposing the divestment of profit-making PSUs, as stated in the Common Minimum Programme of the United Progressive Alliance, the Left parties have said they were willing to consider divestment in non-navratna PSUs on a case-by-case basis.
Regarding non-profit making PSUs, they have suggested steps to be taken to revive sick companies by restructuring them, including taking up the divestment route.
At Monday's meeting, the parties are also likely to discuss the contentious pension issue. The parties have opposed the investment of pension fund in the stock market, which has been proposed by the government.
An exercise is being undertaken by the Left parties to show to the government alternative sources of resource mobilisation for major social sector projects like Employment Guarantee Scheme instead of selling PSUs.
This is the first meeting of the Left parties after the winter session of Parliament.
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