BPCL shares drop over 5 per cent as Government clears way for privatisation

Privatisation of BPCL will not just shake up the fuel retailing sector long dominated by state-owned firms but also help meet at least a third of the government's Rs 1.05 lakh crore disinvestment target.

New Delhi: Shares of BPCL fell over 4.5 per cent on Monday after the government repealed the legislation that had nationalised the company. On the BSE, the stock declined 4.8 per cent to Rs 497. The shares of the PSU fell 5.17 per cent to Rs 499 on the NSE.

BPCL shares drop over 5 per cent as Government clears way for privatisation

Ahead of a proposed move to fully privatise state-owned fuel retailer Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL), the government has repealed the legislation that had nationalised the company, doing away with the need to seek Parliament nod before selling it off to private and foreign firms.

The Repealing and Amending Act of 2016 had annulled "187 obsolete and redundant laws lying unnecessarily on the Statue-Book" including the Act of 1976 that had nationalised erstwhile Burmah Shell. "The Act has been repealed and there is no need for a Parliament approval for strategic sale of BPCL," a senior official said.

Keen to get multi-nationals in domestic fuel retailing to boost competition, the government is mulling selling most of its 53.3 per cent stake in BPCL to a strategic partner.

Privatisation of BPCL will not just shake up the fuel retailing sector long dominated by state-owned firms but also help meet at least a third of the government's Rs 1.05 lakh crore disinvestment target.

BPCL offers attractive buy for companies ranging from Saudi Aramco of Saudi Arabia to French energy giant Total SA which are vying to enter the world's fastest-growing fuel retail market. It will not only give them 34 million-tonne in refining capacity but also access to about 25 per cent share of India's fuel marketing.

BPCL was previously Burmah Shell, which in 1976 was nationalised by an Act of Parliament. Burmah Shell, set up in the 1920s, was an alliance between Royal Dutch Shell and Burmah Oil Co and Asiatic Petroleum (India).