New Delhi, July 02: Heavy Industries and Public
Enterprises Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh today said no public
sector enterprise has approached the department seeking
'Maharatna' status for itself.
"No proposal from any PSU has been recently received in
Department of Public Enterprises for grant of Maharatna status
to it," the Minister said replying to a question in Lok Sabha.
The ministry while announcing its 100-day agenda last
month had said it would enhance autonomy for large-sized, high
profit-making Central Public Sector Enterprises as regards
decisions relating to investment and mergers and acquisitions
by upgrading their status to 'Maharatna' from 'Navratna'.
The ministry has also circulated a note "inviting
comments, opinions, suggestions of various ministries" for the
creation of the new category 'Maharatna'.
It is learnt that mega-sized oil and capital goods
state-owned firms like ONGC, Indian Oil Corporation, BHEL and
NTPC could be included in the new coveted group.
Over the years, some of the 'Navratna' companies have
grown "very big" and have been requesting the government for
greater delegation of powers so as to help them further
increase their operations, particularly in the global market.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, July 02, 2009, 21:26