Talebearer

Disinvestment tangle

With the UPA government formally parting ways with the Left, the buzz is that the government would try to push ahead with its reformist agenda. We hear that the disinvestment process, which was stalled by the obdurate Left, could also be up for review again. Says a senior bureaucrat: “Divestment of government holding in select PSUs is certainly a possibility.” Stake sales could provide much needed funds for the government. But even with new allies on board, the UPA may find it difficult to take the divestment policy forward given that the subject evokes extreme reactions in India.

—RJ

NACIL in the dock

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, apparently, is an unhappy man these days. He feels that it’s about time that the National Aviation Corporation of India Limited (NACIL), the holding company for the merged Air India and Indian Airlines, pulled up its socks. Patel is believed to have told Air India officials recently to “perform or perish”.

Already, NACIL is bleeding more than most private operators and has been cutting routes quietly. But will Patel’s outburst spur NACIL to streamline operations to remain competitive? Watch this space.

—KM