Nearly 100 top executive posts in PSUs vacant

Though it has been almost five months since the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government came to power, around 15 per cent of public sector units (PSUs) are still 'headless'.

Of the total of 240 PSUs, 35 do not have a chairman and 58 posts of functional directors are vacant. Also, 17 of the 36 PSUS under the ministry of heavy industries do not have a chief executive.

Of the 58 vacant posts for functional directors, 16 are in the process of being filled up, while the ministry has decided not to recruit anybody for the remaining 42, which are sick.

A majority of vacancies are in sick PSUs. The PSUs without a chief executive include Hindustan Copper Ltd, Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, Educational Consultants India Ltd, State Farms Corporation of India, Bharat Bhari Udyog Nigam Ltd, MECON Ltd, Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited, National Jute Manufacturers, Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Indian Railway Finance Corporation.

BHEL, one of the nine profit-making PSUs under the heavy industries ministry, did not have a chairman and managing director for over six months. AK Puri joined as BHEL chairman last month.

"The reasons for vacancies at the Central PSUs vary. The government often decides to keep appointments in abeyance in case of sick units as their future is unclear," said an official in the Department of Public Enterprise.

Also, the pay scales of the incumbents for the posts of chief executive and full-time functional director are determined as per the schedule of the enterprise concerned. The chairman, being an appointee of the company board, has the prerogative to decline an assignment at a sick unit, they added.

Public enterprises are categorised into four schedules, based on various qualitative and quantitative factors. In all, there are 210 chief executive posts and 458 functional directors positions across the 240 PSUs.

The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) is entrusted with the responsibility of making recommendations for appointment to full-time board level posts like chief executives and functional directors and part-time posts of chairmen of Central PSUs.

Headless entities

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• Of the total of 240 PSUs, 35 do not have a chairman and 58 posts of functional directors are vacant
• Also, 17 of the 36 PSUs under the ministry of heavy industries do not have a chief executive
• Of the 58 vacant posts for functional directors, 16 are in the process of being filled up