Budget 2012-13 has pegged the disinvestment target for 2012-13 at Rs 30,000 crore.
This is substantially higher than the Rs 14,000-crore that the Government mopped from stake sale in state-owned entities so far during the current fiscal.
With less than a fortnight to go before the financial year comes to an end, there may not be any other big-ticket transaction this month, according to economy watchers. The Government had originally pegged the disinvestment target for 2011-12 at Rs 40,000 crore.
However, the uncertain economic environment and difficult financial market conditions came in the way of the Government going ahead with the scheduled disinvestment plan, the Economic Survey tabled in Lok Sabha on Thursday said.
Tax-free bonds
Meanwhile, the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, today said in his Budget speech that the amount of tax free bonds for financing infrastructure is being doubled to Rs 60,000 crore for 2012-13.
This includes Rs 10,000 crore for NHAI, Rs 10,000 crore for IRFC, Rs 10,000 crore for IIFCL, Rs 5,000 crore for HUDCO, Rs 5,000 crore for National Housing Bank, Rs 5,000 crore for SIDBI, Rs 5,000 crore for ports and Rs 10,000 crore for power sector.
For 2011-12, tax free bonds for Rs 30,000 crore were announced for financing infrastructure.