PSB privatisation: New Bill may provide for 26% minimum govt holding

Presenting the Budget for 2021-22, concern curate Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the privatisation of 2 PSBs and 1 wide insurer, arsenic portion of the Centre’s disinvestment program to rake successful Rs 1.75 lakh crore.

The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which volition beryllium introduced successful the Winter Session of Parliament starting November 29, volition apt suggest that the minimum authorities holding successful nationalist assemblage banks (PSBs) beryllium trimmed to 26% from 51%, an authoritative root said.

The determination is aimed astatine facilitating the privatisation of 2 PSBs, successful sync with the announcement successful the Budget for 2021-22. On Wednesday, shares of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) and Central Bank of India rallied, amid speculations that the authorities had made a determination to privatise these 2 lenders, arsenic suggested by the Niti Aayog. However, the Centre is yet to formally sanction the privatisation candidates.

While the draught Bill provides for the little shareholding, a last telephone volition beryllium taken by the Cabinet, which volition wide the Bill earlier it tin beryllium introduced successful Parliament, added the source.

“(However) If it’s found, aft consultations with investors, that they are not funny unless the authorities sells its full involvement successful the prime PSBs, the authorities is unfastened to see implicit privatisation arsenic well. But initially, it whitethorn opt for retaining a 26% stake,” said different root who is privy to discussions.

Analysts fearfulness immoderate authorities connection to clasp 26% involvement successful the PSBs whitethorn not spell down good with imaginable suitors. For instance, the authorities was forced to enactment its full involvement successful state-run Air India connected the artifact aft its archetypal program to clasp astatine slightest 26% successful the nationalist bearer didn’t elicit immoderate effect from investors.

The caller Bill proposes to “effect amendments successful Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Acts, 1970 and 1980 and incidental amendments to Banking Regulation Act, 1949 successful the discourse of Union Budget announcement 2021 regarding privatisation of 2 Public Sector Banks”, according to the database of legislative concern for the wintertime league of Parliament.

These laws had led to the nationalisation of banks, truthful applicable provisions of these laws person to beryllium changed to pave the mode for the privatisation.

Presenting the Budget for 2021-22, concern curate Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the privatisation of 2 PSBs and 1 wide insurer, arsenic portion of the Centre’s disinvestment program to rake successful Rs 1.75 lakh crore.

Already, Parliament had successful its past league cleared a Bill to facilitate the privatisation of state-run wide security companies by removing the request of the cardinal authorities to clasp astatine slightest 51% involvement successful an insurer.

Niti Aayog has already recommended the sell-off of IOB and Central Bank of India to the halfway radical of secretaries connected disinvestment, headed by the Cabinet Secretary. This halfway radical volition nonstop its proposal to the alternate mechanics (AM), headed by the concern minister, for its approval. Finally, it volition beryllium cleared by the Cabinet.