Mof To Interview 4 Officials For Sbi Chairmans Job

The finance ministry has decided to interview four senior executives of the State Bank of India (SBI) to pick up the right candidate for the chairman's post which falls vacant in October when the present incumbent Janki Ballabh calls it a day.

According to sources, four executives being called are A K Purwar, managing director, State Bank of Patiala; Chandan Bhattacharya, deputy managing director (DMD), audit and inspection; S Santhana Krishnan, DMD and corporate development officer (CDO) and Ashok Kini, DMD in charge of information technology.

The four executives have been chosen on the basis of the fact that they have more than two years of residual service -- a necessary prerequisite for the chairman's post.

Sources said that B D Sumitra, who will be made DMD on July 31, can also be called at the last moment for the interview as he too has two years of residual service. Sumitra was till recently chief general manger (audit and compliance).

Purwar has an edge over others and may be chosen for the top slot superseding a string of senior executives, sources said. Present chairman, Ballah, also superseded six senior colleagues when he was picked up for the post.

If chosen, Purwar will have a three-and-a-half year long tenure as he is slated to retire in May 2006. Kini is slated to retire in December 2005, Bhattacharjee in July 2005 and Krishnan in November 2004.

Meanwhile, the government is expected to clear the appointments of two new managing directors any day now. A K Batra will become MD and group head of corporate accounts group (CAG) replacing Y Radhakrishnan who retired last month and P N Venkatachalam become MD, national banking. S Govindarajan, the present incumbent, is retiring this month end. Batra was DMD (international banking) while Venkatachalam, DMD (inspection and audit).

The list of other senior SBI executives include K S V Krishnamachari, DMD, associate banks and R Krishnamurthy, head of SBI's insurance venture.