Privatization will hurt oil supply. (Global Report on Aisa).(India considers oil privatization...

India -- In October, petroleum minister Ram Naik said he opposed the strategic sale of government equity in state oil firms, to ensure smooth supply of fuels to the public and to encourage more investment. Naik led a storm of protest against privatizing two large refining firms and persuaded a cabinet panel in September to defer the privatization of Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum by three months.

Prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said the government's privatization program was not dead although its policies were open to debate.

Private firms oper