GAIGHAT: Industry Minister Som Prasad Pandey today said that his government was not in favour of privatising state-owned industry.

Speaking at a press conference organised by Press Chautari Udayapur in the district headquarters Gaighat today, Pande said, “In the light of how the privatised industries are now faring, not a single state-owned industry will be privatised now, at least not by our government.”

Further, the minister pledged to run the state-owned establishments in a well-managed way. “Whatever government factories and industries we have now, the government will run them by ensuring better management, rather than privatising them,” he added.

On a different note, the minister who came to inspect the largest industrial establishment of the country, Udayapur Cement Industry, rued the crippling effect of the shortage of fuel.