Manchanda takes charge as new head of ITDC

The Indian Tourism Development Board (ITDC), within two months of getting a new head, has got a new chairman and managing director with the government appointing M S Manchanda.

Manchanda, who took charge today, replaces Rajeev Talwar, who took over as the tourism corporation's CMD in the second week of February.

Government officials said Manchanda has been brought in as the as the CMD with official term of Talwar came to an end on March 31. Talwar, who is also the additional director general of tourism, replaced Amitab Kant as the CMD of ITDC.

According to tourism ministry sources, the appointment of Manchanda is also a short term measure as the government is in the final stages of appointing a full-time CMD for ITDC.

The government was expected to appoint the full time CMD before Talwar's term expired. But the process was delayed. It is expected that the full time CMD will be appointed over the next 15 days.

"The interviews and shortlisting of candidates for the post of CMD have been completed. The list will presented to the cabinet committee on appointments now. This has been done as the government feels that there is a need to appoint a full time CMD for the corporation," said a government source.

Talwar's brief tenure in ITDC was marked by a controversy with tourism minister Renuka Choudhury finding fault with the procedure adopted for the purchase of Black Label whisky by the corporation for duty-free shops run by it.

The government, subsequently, had ordered a probe in the whole issue and found that the corporation had violated the norms in liquor purchase. The 55-year-old Manchanda, an ITDC vice-president incharge of hotels, joined the corporation as a management trainee in 1971.