VISAKHAPATNAM/ NELLORE: Expression of Interest (EoI) for strategic 100% disinvestment of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL), the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, will be invited after discussions with the various stakeholders.
In a written reply to a query by BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Union Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad said the EOI for strategic disinvestment requires broad contours of the transaction, including core and non-core land and assets, which will form part of it.
The transaction of strategic disinvestment of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) follows a two-stage process.
In the first stage, Expression of Interest (EoI) is invited from prospective bidders. In the second stage, qualified interested bidders are allowed to carry out due diligence on the CPSE. Following the submission of financial bids, the reserve price is fixed and then valid financial bids from qualified bidders are opened and based on the best bid, the letter of intent is issued to the selected strategic buyer.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), at its meeting held on January 27, 2021, had accorded ‘in principle’ approval to 100% strategic disinvestment of the Government of India's shareholding in RINL. The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), for which ‘in principle’ approval of CCEA has been granted for strategic disinvestment of RINL, Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR) and AI Assets Holding Ltd (AIAHL), formerly Air India Assets Holding Limited. The EoI has not been issued for the three companies till now, the Union Minister of State for Finance clarified.
1.06 lakh hectares in the State under organic farming:
Organic farming under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) is being practised in 13 districts of AP, covering 1.06 lakh hectares, and Rs 326.91 crore as the Central share has been released to the State since 2015-2016. The Centre has been promoting organic farming in the country since 2015-16 through the PKVY and Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCD-NER).
Under the PKVY, an aid of Rs 50,000 per hectare is provided to the States for a period of three years, informed Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Bhagwanth Khuba, while replying to a question raised by YSRC MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
As agriculture is a State subject, the districts for the implementation of PKVY are selected by the respective State and UT. The scheme is being implemented in 564 districts of 33 States and Union Territories now. The PKVY and MOVCD-NER emphasized end-to-end support to farmers engaged in organic farming from production to processing, certification and marketing and post-harvest management. Training and capacity building are integral parts of the yojana.
Incentives to farmers for producing and using organic fertilisers/manure are built in the yojana as on-farm and off-farm. An assistance of Rs 31,000 per hectare is provided to farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer for on-farm /off -farm organic inputs for a period of three years, and Rs 8,800 per hectare is provided to facilitate value addition, marketing and publicity to all the States and UTs, the Union Minister explained.