The All-India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) has supported the objections raised by EAS Sarma, former Secretary to Govt of India, and has urged the Finance Minister to stay the process of selling Central Electronics Ltd (CEL)

V K Gupta, spokesperson of the AIPEF, said that the Federation has forwarded the representation by EAS Sarma opposing the government’s move to sell to the Prime Minister and urged the government to give serious consideration to the objections raised. Further in the context of climate change and the need to promote solar energy the government should encourage and support public sector units directly and indirectly in the field of augmenting solar power former Union Secretary EAS Sarma has urged the Union Finance Minister and others to review the proposal of privatization of Central Electronics Ltd (CEL) as it was neither justifiable nor in the public interest.

He has questioned the sale of Central Electronics Ltd to a private financial intermediary company, Nandal Finance and Leasing Pvt Limited for an amount of Rs 210 crore which by any stretch of logic, the manner in which CEL is being sold does not seem to be justifiable.

Gupta said Sarma had stated that the Parliamentary Committee on Science & Technology, in their 328th report placed before the two Houses of the Parliament on March 3, 2020, expressed their appreciation of CEL’s efforts towards indigenization of several electronic items of importance. The CEL is no longer a loss-making unit, as it has turned the corner and started earning profits. Therefore, it cannot be considered as a PSU that drains the public exchequer.Even on the basis of an assessment of the assets available with CEL, the finalized disinvestment proceeds of Rs 210 cr. /DW/