New Delhi, Oct 19: Amid the ongoing controversies over sale of government equity in PSUs, disinvestment minister Arun Shourie today warned that aluminium PSU Nalco would start incurring losses if its privatisation was delayed due to present conditions. "Nalco would be in the same position as the Steel Authority of India (Sail) in five years if the same conditions persisted", Shourie told reporters after inaugurating a hostel for north east students here.
Reacting to coal and mines minister Uma Bharti's reported statement that anyone who trivialises her struggle over Nalco disinvestment would bite the dust, he said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had yesterday clarified the government's position on the issue to Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik and wondered whether it meant "prime minister would bite the dust". Bureau Report