Disinvestment roadmap in the next 3-4 weeks: Finance Secy

The roadmap for disinvestment in public sector units will be out in the next three-four weeks but there will be no strategic sale, the Finance Ministry said.

"We will have a clear roadmap in the next three or four weeks," Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla said on Wednesday at a Budget discussion organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry.

The government's position is clear that there will be divestment of shareholding in listed and other public sector entities and that there will be no strategic sale, he said.

"The government will retain 51 per cent but the roadmap for disinvestment in terms of actual companies ... who will go when and what percentage is being worked out," he said.

Chawla added that some companies are already in the pipeline and the market is aware of that and for others "we are in discussion with the ministries concerned".

Later talking to reporters, Chawla said the Finance Ministry has already had talks with 8-10 Ministries on the issue of disinvestment.

"The Ministries have been consulted. They are going to look at what is feasible, what percentage is to go when. There is a certain process which takes time," he said.

He, however, declined to comment on the quantum of disinvestment which the government is looking at in the current fiscal.

It maybe noted that the Economic Survey suggested of targeting disinvestment of Rs 25,000 crore per annum.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had on Tuesday, in his reply to the debate on the Union Budget, said "My Ministry has initiated discussions with other Ministries and departments for identifying the PSUs" for disinvestment.

Further, in a written reply to Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, he had said the government would divest its holding in NHPC Ltd and Oil India through initial public offer in the current financial year, but has deferred public issue of RITES Ltd.

He also said the government has approved disinvestment of two loss-making companies Tyre Corporation of India and Central Inland Water Transport Corporation.