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Baijal: The 'bulldozer' in the sell-off juggernaut

Eid was a holiday for the government, but divestment secretary Pradip Baijal was not at the Delhi Golf Club, his favourite hangout apart from his fourth floor CGO Complex office.

The hyperactive secretary and his equally restless minister Arun Shourie were closeted in the latter's Yojana Bhawan office to thrash out the future course of the government's sell-off programme, brought back on track by the prime minister just a day earlier.

As long as there was a three-month freeze on the government's divestment programme, Baijal was out playing golf, arranging tournaments and giving lectures in top management institutes.

To be sure, the man who virtually eats, drinks and sleeps divestment was not out of action, he was merely taking more time out of office to let his mind approach the issue afresh.

It is difficult to fit Baijal into a mould. Hated by some, revered by others, he is the brain behind the divestment programme. Fellow bureaucrats describe him as a 'bulldozer,' who doggedly refuses to appreciate realpolitik.

Just too bad, would probably be Baijal's answer to that, since he sees nothing but economic logic.

"Politics is not the job of a bureaucrat. He is supposed to keep a low profile and give the right advice to the political leadership. After that, it is the politician's call," says Baijal.

While his position does not let Baijal keep out of the limelight, he steadfastly avoids being profiled in the press even though he is always available for clarifications, facts and figures for anybody who bothers to check.

The ministry updates its 'presentation' on divestment almost every other day. Baijal's photocopier is always over-worked, and the secretary is only too happy to pass on the document as an educational tool to whoever wants it.

Baijal's acumen is clearly visible from the way complex divestment issues were resolved in the face of stiff opposition.

The credit for the entire back-office work that went into the Maruti deal with Suzuki rightfully belongs to Baijal.

Baijal describes it as '10 times better' than the 1984 deal, when Suzuki gained management upper hand in the company without paying any premium.

Ditto for the complex negotiations with the petroleum and chemicals ministries that went into the IPCL sale.

The sell-off process has thrown back some nasty surprises even after deals were struck. It was Baijal who called a bidder's bluff of fictitious bank guarantees in the sale of Juhu Centaur.

Similarly, when reports of Comptroller and Auditor General 'questioning' Modern Foods and the Balco sell-off started doing the rounds, it was Baijal who pointed out that the CAG's queries had been answered to the watchdog's satisfaction.

The divestment ministry is perhaps the only department that is scattered across different buildings.

The former power additional secretary's office stayed without electricity for many days during summer, and equipment with this most high-profile ministry is still scanty, but the entire staff - from Pradeep, the peon, and computer operator Ramesh to the three joint secretaries - works with a revolutionary zeal that must surely percolate from the top.

With less than three months to go to retirement, the 'bulldozer' can be trusted to get the divestment juggernaut rolling at a steady pace again.

As for improving his handicap of 24 on the golf course, that will have to wait for some more time.

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