The disinvestment of public sector firms (PSU) is expected to pick up pace in the coming days with the government mulling more PSU mergers to meet its highly ambitious disinvestment target of Rs 90,000 crore for the current financial year. The buzz is that the Centre may kick-start the process with power sector giant NTPC taking over SJVN, a deal which failed to take off last year owing to objections from Himachal Pradesh authorities.

“The power ministry, along with DIPAM officials, have had several rounds of meetings to discuss the contours of the merger and is keen on pushing through the deal by the end of this financial year,” said a senior official.

Officials are also in talks with the Himachal Pradesh government to get the latter’s nod which would help the central government net disinvestment proceeds to the tune of Rs 8,000 crore.