Disinvestment rethink: BJP tells George back off, politely but firmly

He claimed that it had brought about efficiency and growth and had facilitated a turn-around in several PSUs. And that taxpayers’ money couldn’t be “invested in loss-making or less profitable units.” This success story needs to be followed in all states and strengthened, he said.

The BJP, Jaitley said, is fully supportive of the Government’s disinvestment policy. Even in states where 90 per cent of PSUs are running at losses, the disinvestment process should be expedited, he said.

Regarding Fernandes’s suggestion for a mid-term review and a discussion among key ministers on the policy, Jaitley said: ‘‘Any suggestion to discuss and review performances and policies should always be undertaken.’’

He parried questions on Samata leader Raghunath Jha’s opposition to the privatisation of Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum saying that the BJP did not go into individual cases.