AGARTALA, Aug 27 (TIWN): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has faced an unexpected question at Agartala MBB Airport today as soon as she exited the Airport building and came in front of the reporters. Deputy CM Jishnu Debbarma was present in the Airport to receive the high profile Union Minister who is holding the Finance Dept of the Modi Govt. Amid the ongoing controversy and oppositions' allegation of national properties and assets sales, a journalist (Channel Aaj Tak) asked her, `Ma'am ! Are You selling off Everything.......? Is the allegation of the Opposition correct ?" She was about to answer but listening to the question, Sitharaman told the media, "I will reply later. I have come here for work. Let's complete the work first". The Controversy : Amid Covid, the Modi government has just intensified efforts to sell the country's public assets. It has broadened initiatives for sale of national assets ranging from national highways and airports to ports, warehouses, power stations and mining.

www.youtube.com/watch Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrives in Tripura. Reporter's question denied to be answered by Sitharaman. TIWN YouTube Video Aug 27, 2021 at Agartala MBB Airport.

20 public sector units under 12 union ministries will go under the hammer.

The target is to raise Rs 6 lakh crores in 6 year time, the Corporate Minister Nirmala Sitaram has informed at press conference, and claimed the ownership rights of these will not pass permanently and rather that the rights will be reinstated with the government after specified period.

Rs 88,190 crore was marked as  revenue from sale proceeds of public assets in the current budget to be followed-up by Rs 162 lakh crores in 2022-23, Rs 179 lakh crores in 2023-24 and  Rs 167 crore in 2024-25.. States will be encouraged to privatize public sector units by stake selling. Also,  ongoing stake sales will continue. NITI Aayog CEO, Amitabhkant, vice chairman Rajiv Kumar and secretaries of different departments took part in the meeting.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took a jibe at the Narendra Modi government over the sale of the country’s assets amid a surging coronavirus pandemic. He urged citizens to take care of themselves as the government is "busy in sales". He further said the worrying Covid-19 crisis called for an expedited pace of vaccination to avoid a crisis in a possible next wave of the pandemic.