North India Statesman
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Mumbai: In the last financial year, the government could raise only Rs 16,507 crore from the sale of shares in government undertakings. According to the data received, the government has raised this amount by partially selling its shares in ten companies. The government has been successful in raising this amount through offer for sale. The enterprises in which stake has been sold mainly include Coal India, NHPC, NLC India, IREDA, RVNL, HUDCO.
In view of the Lok Sabha elections in the country, the government is delaying handing over the public sector undertakings to private hands. In the last decade, the Modi government has been able to achieve the target of selling stake in public sector undertakings only in two financial years.
The government has been able to achieve its disinvestment target only in the financial years 2017-18 and 2018-19.
In the financial year 2017-18 the government raised a little over Rs 1 lakh crore through sale of shares in public sector undertakings, the highest ever. In the subsequent year, Rs 84,972 crore has been collected, whereas the target was Rs 80,000 crore.
The government has not yet set any target for stake sale in undertakings for the current financial year starting from today. The government, while presenting the budget for the ended financial year, had originally targeted to raise Rs 51,000 crore through disinvestment. However, the target was changed while presenting the interim budget for the new financial year.
The government has received Rs 63,000 crore as dividend through central public sector undertakings, which is 26 per cent more than the budget estimate. Higher dividend income has helped the government offset disinvestment losses.
