Even as its merger with other GSPC Group's entities in underway, Gujarat Gas Company Limited (GGCL) is soon set to get a new non-IAS managing director (MD). In a bid to bring in more professionalism, the Gujarat government is in the final stages of hiring a non-IAS industry professional to head the new merged entity.
The proposed consolidation of Gujarat Gas with GSPC Distribution Networks Limited (GDNL), GSPC Gas Limited (GSPC Gas), Gujarat Gas Financial Services Limited (GFSL) and Gujarat Gas Trading Company Limited (GTCL) is expected to be completed by March 2015.
Confirming that interviews are on, Saurabh Patel, Minister of Finance and Energy, Government of Gujarat said that the move comes in the wake of the new entity getting big in size and autonomy. "It will be too big a company in terms of size of operations and scale. We, therefore, want an industry expert who is a non-bureaucrat to head it and scale it up further," he said.
It needs to be mentioned here that once completed, the merger will result in a combined volume that could well cross the 8 million metric standard cubic metres per day (mmscmd) mark.
According to state government sources, the recruitment process for the new MD is in the final screening stage. "The process is in final screening stage and the new MD is likely to be hired soon. Applications had been pouring from across the country. An announcement can be expected by next quarter," said sources.
As per an ad posted by GSPC Group earlier, the state-owned natural gas distribution player is seeking a "dynamic leader from the energy sector who can manage the challenges and goals while up-scaling the business operations".
Meanwhile, even as network expansion is in process, GSPC Gas serves piped natural gas (PNG) to households and compressed natural gas (CNG) for domestic transport as well as industries across 11 districts at a volume of 5.5 mmscmd while Gujarat Gas does around 2.5 mmscmd in two districts.
