The Centre has no immediate plans to revise the disinvestment target of Rs 40,000 crore set for the current fiscal, the Economic Affairs Secretary, Mr Gopalan, said here today.

“Our aim is to achieve the Rs 40,000 crore (target). We hope to achieve it. As on date, we are not going to revise the target”, Mr Gopalan told reporters when asked if the divestment target would be scaled down in the wake of choppy markets.

Recently, the Centre had put on hold the much anticipated ONGC further public offering (FPO) owing to the poor market sentiments.

Mr Gopalan pointed out that “very many possibilities and other routes” were still available for the Government to mop up Rs 40,000 crore by end March next year. “There can be equity shrinkage… buyback of equity…very many possibilities. We are in a position to achieve target,” he said. The Centre has so far this fiscal raised Rs 1144.55 crore as disinvestment receipts.

>krsrivats@thehindu.co.in

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