Amid concerns expressed by a UK-based minority investor over the functioning of Coal India (CIL), Coal Ministry has expedited the process for appointing Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the state-owned company.
The post has been lying vacant after Partha Bhattacharyya retired in February last year.
The Coal Ministry, according to a top official, has sent the proposal for appointment of a regular CMD to Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for approval. The list of contenders include SS Narsing Rao, CMD of Singareni Collieries (SCCL).
"The ministry has sent the proposal for appointment of CMD to ACC last Friday. The government will take a call soon," the official said.
The government has not able to fill the top slot in the state-owned coal major CIL after Bhattacharyya retired on February 28, 2011. Instead, it decided to give additional charge to NC Jha, director technical, CIL.
After Jha's retirement on January 31, 2012, the charge was given to Zohra Chatterji, Additional Secretary in the Coal Ministry.
The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) had recommended Narsing Rao's name for the top position of CIL. He is a 1986-batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh Cadre and has been heading state-owned Singareni Collieries since 2006.
The search-cum-selection committee of PESB interviewed 19 aspirants including heads of a clutch of state-run firms and CIL's Director (Personnel) R Mohan Das.
According to information available on PESB website, Rao was found most suitable.
Concerned over the working of the CIL, the London-based The Children's Investment Fund Management, in a letter to Coal Ministry earlier this month accused the Coal India management of harming the public sector undertaking.
Attacking the Coal India management for poor performance of the company, the Fund said, it "lacked the necessary leadership..." and demanded that the board and management to be "swiftly changed".
