The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is planning to hire a consultant to guide its approach towards using the 773.13 acre surplus land that will be made available after it disinvests in Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL), currently Tata Communications. The DoT is likely to seek applications from prospective bidders in this regard soon.

The land, in which the government has a 51.12 per cent share, is currently with Hemisphere Properties India Ltd (HPIL).

The consultant will be expected to analyze options for demerger and hiving off surplus land into HPIL in accordance with the shareholding agreement.

In 2002, the government had selected the Tatas as the strategic investor and divested 25 per cent of its share in VSNL, handing over control of VSNL to the company.

However, before the start of the bidding, 773.13 acres of land of the total 1,230.13 acre was demarcated as surplus land in which the successful bidder was to have no interest and was to be demerged or hived off into a new company.