INTRODUCTION

(Hindi Version

In their 52nd Report (3rd Lok Sabha), the Estimates Committee referred to the absence of any organisation in the Government to provide policy and overall guidance to the Central Public Enterprises (PSEs) and stressed the need for setting up a centralised coordinating unit which could also make continuous appraisal of the performance of public enterprises. This led to the setting up of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) in 1965. BPE was later constituted as an independent administrative unit within the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure in 1969. As a result of the re-organisation of the Ministries/Departments of the Central Government in September, 1985, BPE was transferred from Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Industry. In May, 1990, BPE was conferred the status of a full-fledged Department and is now known as the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

The Department of Public Enterprises acts as a nodal agency for all PSEs and assists in policy formulation pertaining to the role of PSEs in the economy as also in laying down policy guidelines on performance improvement and evaluation, financial accounting, personnel management and in related areas. It also collects, evaluates and maintains information on several areas in respect of PSEs. DPE also provides an interface between the Administrative Ministries and the PSEs. In fulfilling its role, it associates itself with other Ministries and organisations as also premier management institutes in the country.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES OF DEPTT. OF PUBLIC ENTERPRISES

DPE is under the charge of the Minister (HI&PE) and Minister of State (HI&PE). The Department is headed by a Secretary who is assisted by an establishment with an overall sanctioned strength of 121 personnel .

The Department has Five constitutent Divisions, the Financial Policy Division, the Management Policy Division, the MOU Division, the Administration & Coordination Division and Permanent Machinery of Arbitration. The Financial Policy Division comprises the Public Enterprises Survey unit, the policy planning unit, the wage policy unit and the work relating to disinvestment of shares of public sector enterprises. The Management Policy Division comprises the personnel policy unit, training unit, performance indicator and work norms unit (PIWN Unit) and SC & ST Cell. The MOU Division comprises MOU Unit, Data Bank and Computer Cell. The Administration & Coordination Division comprises the Administration, Library, Parliament and Coordination Wings and Hindi Cell. The Permanent Machinery of Arbitration (PMA) provides a forum for settlement of commercial disputes between two or more PSEs as well as between a Government Department and PSEs.

The important role and tasks of the Department are listed below :

  1. General policy relating to Public Sector.
  2. Matters relating to issue of Presidential Directives and guidelines to Public Sector Enterprises.
  3. Formulation of policy guidelines pertaining to Public Sector Enterprises in areas like performance improvement and evaluation, financial management, personnel management, board structures, wage settlement, training, industrial relation, vigilance, performance appraisal, etc.
  4. Matters relating to reservation of posts in the public sector enterprises for certain classes of citizens.
  5. All matters relating to Memorandum of Understanding between the Public Sector Enterprises and the administrative Ministries/Departments.
  6. Matters relating to delegation of powers to Board of Directors.
  7. To undertake indepth studies in respect of significant areas of functioning of Central PSEs
  8. Matters relating to International Centre for Public Enterprises (ICPE)
  9. Matters relating to Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE)
  10. To monitor and evaluate the performance of PSEs and to act as a repository of data and to bring out an Annual Survey for the Parliament.
  11. Permanent Machinery of Arbitrators for settlement of disputes among public sector enterprises and Government Departments except disputes relating to tax matters.
  12. Appraisal of proposal from different administrative Ministries/Deptt. pertaining to restructuring, revival, joint venture etc.