Lok Sabha Question No. 132 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-19
Subject: Selling Steel Plants
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Subrata Pathak, Ravi Kishan Shukla, Sangamlal Kadedin Gupta

## DEPARTMENT OF INVESTMENT AND PUBLIC ASSET MANAGEMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE (DIPAM)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.132 TO BE ANSWERED ON MONDAY, JULY 19, 2021 28 ASHADHA, 1943 (SAKA)

## SELLING STEEL PLANTS

132. SHRI SUBRAT PATHAK: SHRI RAVI KISHAN: SHRI SANGAM LAL GUPTA:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) Whether the Government has any proposal to sell some steel plants in near future;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) whether some steel plants have been sold during the last five years and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (DR. BHAGWAT KISHANRAO KARAD)

- (a) to  (c): The disinvestment of the Central Public Sector Enterprises including the Steel  Plants,  at  present,  is  guided  by  New  Public  Sector  Enterprise  (PSE)  Policy  for Atmanirbhar Bharat notified by the Government on 4 th  February, 2021 after approval by the Cabinet on 27.01.2021.

As per this policy, existing Public Sector Enterprises have been broadly classified under Strategic and Non-strategic Sectors. It has also been laid down that in strategic sectors,

bare minimum presence of the existing public sector enterprises at Holding Company level will be retained under Government control. The remaining enterprises in strategic sector will be considered for privatisation or merger or subsidiarization with another CPSE or for closure. Further, the Public Sector Enterprises in non-strategic sectors shall be  considered  for  privatisation,  where  feasible,  otherwise  such  enterprises  shall  be considered for closure. Steel Plants fall in non-strategic sector. The Government has so far  taken  decision  for  strategic  disinvestment  of  the  following  Steel  Plants  and  the ongoing disinvestment transactions are in different stages:

|   S. No. | Name of the CPSE/Unit/ Subsidiary/Joint Venture                                                       | Status                                           | Date of CCEA Decision             |
|----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|        1 | Rastriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL)                                                                   | CPSE                                             | 27.01.2021                        |
|        2 | Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL)                                                                  | Joint Venture of Central/State PSEs              | 08.01.2020                        |
|        3 | NMDCIntegrated Steel Plant (NISP), Nagarnar                                                           | Unit ofNMDC                                      | 27.10.2016 modified on 14.10.2020 |
|        4 | Alloy Steel Plant, Durgapur; Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant, Bhadravathi; Salem Steel Plant, Salem | Units of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) | 27.10.2016                        |

The timing for decision for disinvestment of a specific Public Sector Enterprise is contingent, inter-alia, on the considerations of appropriate sequencing, sectoral trends, administrative feasibility, investor's interest, etc.

(d): No steel plant has been sold (strategically divested) during the last five years.

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