Twenty four PILs against govt disinvestment

NEW DELHI: As many as 24 public interest litigation petitions were filed challenging the government’s disinvestment proposals despite the Supreme Court verdict on Balco privatisation. A vast majority of these were filed against privatisation of ITDC hotels.

A petition has also been filed before the Chennai high court challenging the privatisation of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation.

Addressing a session at the Confederation of Indian Industry organised conference on legal reforms on infrastructure, disinvestment secretary Pradip Baijal said on Saturday: “Despite the Balco judgement litigation and PILs are causing delays,� he said.

Eleven cases were dismissed. About seven cases challenging ITDC hotels privatisation has been transferred to Supreme court. Petitions challenging ITDC privatisation were filed before various high courts in the country.