New Delhi: The number of loss-making PSUs in India has increased from 79 in 2015-16 to 84 in 2019-20 while the number of profit-making PSUs has decreased from 175 in 2016-17 to 171 in 2019-20, said Minister of State (MoS) for Finance Dr Bhagwat Karad in the Lok Sabha on Monday. "The number of loss making CPSEs were 79 in 2015-16, 81 in 2016-17; 72 in 2017-18; 69 in 2018-19 and 84 in 2019-20. Out of these, 30 CPSEs were incurring losses continuously with cumulative loss of Rs 1,06,879 crores," said Dr Karad in a written response to a question raised in the Lower House of Parliament.
The total number of employees working in loss-making PSUs as on March 31, 2020, was 2,26,814, said Dr Karad.
The number of profit-making PSUs was 183 in 2017-18, 179 in 2018-19 before declining to 171 in 2019-20, said the minister. According to the government's new public sector policy, profit or loss incurred by a PSU is not a criteria for its disinvestment anymore. The Centre has said that it wants to pare its presence in sectors that have come of age and will retain a bare minimum number of PSUs under its control in strategic sectors under the new policy.
"The Budget 2021-22, inter alia, envisaged for completion of strategic disinvestment of one Maharatna CPSE, namely, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, two Navratna CPSEs, namely Shipping Corporation of India Limited and Container Corporation of India Limited and two Miniratna CPSEs, namely, BEML Limited and Pawan Hans Limited," Dr Karad told the Lok Sabha.
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