There is more drama in store for the selection process of Coal India’s next chairman and managing director. Weeks after the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) referred to the Cabinet Committee for the cancellation of the selection of two shortlisted candidate, a top coal ministry official has said that if the government clears the CVC suggestion the selection process would restart within a month.
It means the company may have to work with its acting chairman N C Jha for another five months. According to sources in the ministry, CVC had refused to give clearance for both the candidates and has recommended for the cancellation of the panel. The company being managed for more than seven months without a full-time chairman was a major concern which was highlighted by the shareholders during its 37th annual general meeting (AGM) here on Tuesday.
When asked about when the selection process would restart, Ajay Bhalla, joint secretary of the ministry of coal, said, “The CVC has referred it to the government and a cabinet committee is expected to take a decision on it soon. Once it is done, the selection process will start within a month or so.” The cabinet committee is expected to take a decision on it with in weeks. Sources indicated that the United Progressive Alliance government is not likely to take a view against the vigilance reference, as the government is already under pressure due to scams, corruption charges and even due to controversies regarding the appointment of P J Thomas as CVC, though there were corruption charges against him.
After an interview held last year, the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) had shortlisted two candidates — Tapas Kumar Lahiry of Bharat Coking Coal (BCCL) and Dinesh Chandra Garg, head of Western Coalfields (WCL). However, according to an official source, Lahiry was denied the post because of one CBI case pending against him, while Garg was fined for allegedly “abusing his official position” to give a contractor undue benefit of more than Rs 75 lakh to build a culvert in 2008.
Lahiry was the front-runner for the top post when the selection process was concluded in November 2010. “Now, the process will take another five months atleast, as the PSEB will have to advertise and have to go through the entire selection process again,” a top CIL official said.
The company was running without a chairman after Partha S Bhattacharyya retired on February 28 this year. Responding to shareholders' query on Tuesday, Jha said, “I have the additional charge of the CMD and director marketing, apart from my duty of being the director technical. I am sure that the government will soon find a solution for this issue.” Jha got an extension as the chairman in charge for the second time early this month.
