Encouraged by the response to its stake sale in Hindustan Copper, the government has said that disinvestment of its 10 per cent shares in National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) is likely to take place in first half of the next month.Disinvestment Secretary M Haleem Khan told reporters in New Delhi that NMDC disinvestment will be through the auction method. Last month government had approved 10 per cent stake sale in the country's largest iron-ore miner NMDC that could fetch the exchequer over 7,000 crore rupees. At present, the government holds 90 per cent stake in the NMDC.