Centre plans to give some strategic disinvestment powers to DPE

DPE may be entrusted with seeking approvals from cabinet for strategic disinvestment

The Union government is looking to entrust some powers in its strategic disinvestment process to the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), which has now been brought under the Ministry of Finance.

The government may empower the department to seek approvals on candidates for privatisation from the Cabinet after NITI Aayog suggests names of public sector enterprises for strategic disinvestment. The plan is being considered as a measure to reduce delays in the strategic disinvestment that takes about 12-13 months from identification of public sector undertakings (PSUs) to execution of the transaction.

According to the proposal being discussed, the existing task of the