Disinvestment Ministry seeks guidance on sell-off programme

NEW DELHI: The Disinvestment Ministry said on Tuesday that it had moved "appropriate forums" for guidance to bring the divestment process back on the rail.
"The disinvestment process has slowed down very much after the 3-month deferment of a decision on HPCL and BPCL. There is an increase in the opposition to the disinvestment process. Cooperation from administrative ministries, bureaucrats and PSU officials is far less now," Disinvestment Secretary Pradeep Baijal said.
Asked about the next step, Baijal said "we have referred issues relating to various PSUs to appropriate forums for guidance."
Baijal said that Nalco divestment process had come to a virtual halt due to intervention of the state (Orissa) government and opposition from Union Mines Minister Uma Bharati.
Privatisation of the National Fertilisers Limited (NFL) was being delayed with Fertiliser Minister S S Dhindsa linking the issue with long term fertiliser policy, he said, adding that this was referred to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
Baijal pointed out that the Group of Ministers had already made its recommendations on the long-term fertiliser policy and now the policy issue was before the Cabinet for consideration.
Likewise, some issues raised by the Heavy Industry Ministry had delayed the divestment of PSUs under the administrative control of the ministry, he added.