Speaking to The Financial Express, the Disinvestment Commission chairman said, "Restructuring of the public sector units will be done in some cases where it is necessary."

About the way of conducting disinvestment, he said, "We will decide about it as and when we are given the powers to do so."

The commission has shown its displeasure on many occasions for its lack of powers. It had even threatened to resign en masse if the powers to supervise and implement disinvestment were not given to it. The commission was stripped of its original powers to supervise sales and take decisions on instrument, pricing and timing in January, 1998.

One of the members of the commission,Dr M Nanjudappa, had resigned last year in protest.

The commission was also upset with the Government decision to allow crossholdings by cash-rich oil public sector enterprises without consultation. What further annoyed the disinvestment panel was the fact that the views of other experts were taken for the restructuring of national oil companies.

The commission had recommended that disinvestment in some of the oil PSUs be deferred till a final decision was taken on the administered pricing mechanism. Even on decisions relating to disinvestment in Indian Airlines, the commission felt that it was being ignored. The commission is expected to submit its report on the pending PSUs next week.