Former Coal India chief N K Jha has joined SAIL as an advisor with the job of identifying coal blocks that can be allocated to the state-owned steel maker and chalking out strategies for their development.
Jha, who has expertise in mining technology and knowledge of world's coal basins, has been called on by SAIL also to suggest ways of expediting development of Tasra and Sitnala coal blocks, Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma said in the Rajya Sabha today.
The former CIL technical director, Jha also handled the additional charge of Chairman and Managing Director of the company for some time.
Jha has also the mandate to advice SAIL on augmenting the production of its existing collieries and identifying potential for strategic partnership with coal companies.
SAIL offers Jha a consolidated honorarium of Rs 50,000 per month and reimburses telephone expenses as per actuals. At the same time, he is entitled for TA/DA at par with the directors of SAIL. He also gets car facility for official use.
To a reply, Verma said currently 17 advisors, including Jha, are engaged in SAIL. Former SAIL Chairman S R Jain, ex-BHEL Personnel Director S K Jain and former United India Insurance CMD M K Garg are also there in SAIL as consultants.
The Minister said SAIL engages advisors as per its organisational requirements from ex-employees as well as experts from other fields who have expertise in the concerned areas.
SAIL had 30 such consultants in 2011-12, 23 in 2010-11 and 24 in 2009-10.
