Niti identifies SAIL units for strategic sale: Govt

Niti Aayog has identified some of the subsidiaries of the country's largest steel maker, SAIL, for strategic sale, Parliament was informed today.
"Niti Aayog has provisionally identified some units of SAIL for strategic sale," Minister of State for Steel Vishnu Deo Sai said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
The Minister added that the government has decided to appoint an external consultant to study the overall working of SAIL with a view to improve its performance.
"MECON has been appointed as consultant for finalising a management consultant," Sai said.
Tasked by Prime Minister's Office to look into viability of sick state-run companies, the think tank had submitted two separate lists of sick and loss-making PSUs.

One comprising those that can be closed down and the other of those that should be privatised through strategic sale.
According to sources, three SAIL subsidiaries -- Salem Steel Plant, Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant and Chandrapur Ferro-Alloy Plant-- have been identified for strategic sale.
However, nothing has been finalised as there are issues related to mine linkages and employees that need to be sorted before going for strategic sale, they said.