)
Against the backdrop of low global crude oil prices, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday met Petroleum Secretary Saurabh Chandra, Disinvestment Secretary Aradhana Johri and other officials from their departments to discuss a possible road map for stake sale in state-owned oil companies.
Sources said five to six names were discussed and while Oil and Natural Gas (ONGC) remained on the stake sale plan for this year, the discussion primarily focused on likely contenders among oil companies for next year. In Budget 2014-15, Jaitley had pegged India’s disinvestment target for the financial year at an all-time high of Rs 58,425 crore — Rs 43,425 crore from sale of stock in state-run companies and another Rs 15,000 crore through sale of residual stakes in erstwhile government-owned firms.
Sources said five to six names were discussed and while Oil and Natural Gas (ONGC) remained on the stake sale plan for this year, the discussion primarily focused on likely contenders among oil companies for next year. In Budget 2014-15, Jaitley had pegged India’s disinvestment target for the financial year at an all-time high of Rs 58,425 crore — Rs 43,425 crore from sale of stock in state-run companies and another Rs 15,000 crore through sale of residual stakes in erstwhile government-owned firms.
