New Delhi: Supreme Court on July 25 issued notices to the Union government and public sector Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) on a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the Centre's decision to privatise the two oil refiners.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice V N Khare and Justice S B Sinha issued the notices on a petition filed by the Oil Sector Officers' Association, challenging the decision of the government to disinvest its stake in the two oil public sector undertakings (PSUs).

The Bench also issued notices to respondents on an interim prayer of the petitioner seeking stay of the disinvestment.

Arguing for the petitioner, senior Advocate F S Nariman said the government could not have disinvested its share in the oil PSUs through an Executive order as it had to enact a Parliamentary legislation to this effect.

PTI