"There is a proposal for disinvesting in Central power utilities including selling off certain power stations of NTPC to the private sector to increase their participation," Kumaramangalam said addressing a CII seminar on Indo-US relations. NTPC recently appointed ICICI to suggest various options for disinvestment including selling of units, buying back of government equity, cross-holding and sale of gove nment equity directly in the market.

NTPC sources, however, said that finalisation of the deal to buy NHPC would take about a year while indicating that any other option would be put on hold till then.