Narendra Modi may revert to Vajpayee’s policy

More than a decade after privatisation of public sector units (PSUs) was scrapped, the government will very soon come out with a comprehensive policy for the strategic stake sale that will detail the mode as well as valuation methodology for outright sale of even profit making companies.

The previous NDA government led by Atal Behari Vajpayee had between 1999 and 2004 privatised about a dozen state-owned firms and hotels including Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL), Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd (BALCO), CMC Ltd and Hindustan Zinc (HZL). But the policy was buried after the UPA came to power and only minority stake sales was pursued since then.

The government is now looking at reviving the policy of the Vajpayee era.

“The Prime Minister and the finance minister has already indicated that the government will go for a strategic stake sale. The policy for strategic sale has to be put in place. The department is working on it and we are hopeful that the policy will be in place very soon,” disinvestment secretary Neeraj Kumar Gupta said. Finance minister Arun Jaitley in 2015-16 Budget had said that the government will raise Rs 28,500 crore by way of strategic stake sale.

But with no specific policy detailing as to how to select a PSU for strategic stake sale, methodology for valuation and the process to be followed, the disinvestment department could not go ahead with selling any PSU so far this fiscal. The vacuum is bei-ng sought to be filled with a comprehensive policy.

“The policy will be comprehensive and take care of all the aspects of strategic sale, which include identification of CPSEs, mode of sale, percentage of equity to be sold, transfer of management, valuation of CPSEs, process of bidding, among others,” Mr Gupta said.

The disinvestment department has taken into account all previous reports in this regard while framing the strategic sale policy, the secretary said.