PMO official on panel to select PESB chief, members

The Centre today reconstituted a panel to select chief and members of government's headhunter-- Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB)--which would now include a representative from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
Besides, it has allowed private sector professionals to work in Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) for five-year term.
The Ministry of Personnel has notified these changes.
The Cabinet Secretary-led Committee to select chairperson and members of the PESB will have Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister as one of the members. The panel will continue to have top bureaucrats of three key departments-- Secretary (Personnel), Secretary (Finance) and Secretary (Public Enterprises)--as its members.

Earlier, there was no nominee of the PMO in the panel to recommend the names of chief and members of the PESB, responsible for top-level appointees--Chairman, Managing Director or Chairman-cum-Managing Director, and Functional Director--in the central public sector undertakings.
The PESB consists of a chairperson and three full-time members.

"The chairperson or members shall hold office for a period of three years from the date of assumption of charge or until attainment of the age of 65 years or until further orders, whichever is earliest," as per the new norms.
With this latest order, private sector professional can work in the CPSEs for five year term. "Candidates from state public sector enterprises and the private sector subject to fulfilling the eligibility criteria will also be considered as non internal candidates along with the candidates of other public sector enterprises, for a period of five years," reads the notified norms.

The Union Cabinet had on June 1 given its ex-post facto approval to the proposal (of having private sector people) for amendment to over a 28-year-old resolution of the Public Enterprises Selection Board.
The amendment will continue to provide a wider pool of professionals for selection.
Central public sector enterprises would also benefit by the skill-sets and domain expertise of those coming from the state public sector enterprises as well the private sector. It would also ensure that the central PSE senior management gets the benefit of the perspective gained both within and outside, as per a government release issued on the Cabinet's decision.