Speaking to The Financial Express, he said, "Strategic sale fetches more value for the government. It ensures that the share value does not fall. It also helps reinvigorate PSUs."

It may be realled that Shourie's predecessor, Arun Jaitley, had also found strategic sale to be better than partial disinvestment. By preferring strategic sale mode, Shourie has made it clear there would not be any discontinuity in the disinvestment policy.

On the setting up of another disinvestment commission, the minister said that the new panel would be only recommendatory in nature, as the ultimate responsibility lies with the executive.

The erstwhile disinvestment commission was entrusted with, among other things, supervising the "overall sale process" and taking decisions on "instrument, pricing, timing, etc, as appropriate." The commission was also expected to "select the financial advisers for the specified PSUs to facilitate the disinvestment process."

At the same time, as per the industry ministry resolution setting up the sell-off panel, the commission was just an "advisory body and the government will take a final decisions on the companies to be disinvested." This stated conflict between the powers of the commission led to a lot of friction between the panel members and the government.

It was the constant refrain of commission chairman GV Ramakrishna that the government was not implementing the recommendations made by the panel. At one point, the commission threatened to resign in one body.

By making it clear that the new commission would be just recommendatory in nature, Shourie wants to preclude any possible future confrontation.