Coal India likely to get its third chairman in eight months in Suresh Kumar

Senior bureaucrat Suresh Kumar is likely to be the new acting chairman and managing director of the world's largest coal miner CIL.

He will replace Gopal Singh who was given the additional charge as CMD of the maharatna firm in September last year.

Singh heads Central Coalfields Ltd, an arm of state-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL).

Kumar is the additional secretary of in the coal ministry.

"The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved that Suresh Kumar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of coal may be entrusted with the additional charge of the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) Coal India Ltd (CIL) till the appointment of a regular incumbent to the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier," a source said.

Singh had in September last year succeeded Sutirtha Bhattacharya who had retired from the post of Coal India CMD on August 31, 2017.

Responding to a question on the appointment of full-time Chairman of Coal India Coal Secretary Susheel Kumar had recently told PTI that, "The process of approval (of full-time Chairman of Coal India) is on...I am not aware of the time lines."

The government last year began the hunt for a full-time CMD of CIL and invited applications from professionals from PSUs as well as the private sector.

While inviting applications through an advertisement, the government had said "the applicants may submit their applications to the Ministry of Coal".

Government head-hunter PESB has earlier suggested that the Centre may choose an appropriate course of action for selection of CMD for Coal India as it did not find any of the six candidates interviewed as fit for the top post.

Coal India accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal production.