Syedain Abbasi to replace C S Verma as interim NMDC Chairman

At present SAIL chief C S Verma is heading NMDC

Syedain Abbasi, now a Joint Secretary in the Steel Ministry, is likely to get the additional charge of heading NMDC, which at present is led by SAIL chief C S Verma.

NMDC has been without a full-time CMD since 2012. SAIL chief Verma has been heading NMDC since May, 2012. He also heads International Coal Venture (ICVL). The Steel Ministry wanted to relieve Verma of the additional charge as it wanted him to concentrate on SAIL.

Abbasi, a 1990 batch IAS officer, has also been on the Board of the iron ore producer as a government director since October last year. He would take over the charge of NMDC chief next month as an interim arrangement, sources told PTI. He will continue until a permanent Charmian assumes office.

"Abbasi's name has been proposed by the Steel Ministry for temporarily heading NMDC. He would be running the show in the company till a permanent Chairman assumes office," a source said.

A proposal would be sent to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) soon in this regard.

The Public Enterprises Selection Board's (PESB) earlier in July last year had recommended M S Rana for the top post in NMDC .

However, Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma did not concur with the choice and gave company's Technical Director N K Nanda the additional charge.

Following some issues, Steel Ministry replaced Nanda and gave the charge to Verma with the approval of the ACC.

In January, Steel Ministry had appointed a five-member search panel, headed by Planning Commission member Arun Maira for selecting the right candidate to head NMDC.

The panel shortlisted SAIL's Burnpur plant CEO Narender Kothari and  Bharat Coking Coal's CMD Tapas Kumar Lahiri in May. Pending CVC clearance for Lahiri so far, Steel Ministry is yet to make its final recommendation to the ACC.

"This may take sometime and Abbasi would be given the additional charge till the time the permanent CMD assumes office," a source said.