State-owned companies not having a full-time chief executive includes National Hydro-electric Power Corp (NHPC), National Mineral Development Corp (NMDC), Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corp, RITES Ltd, Hindustan Cables Ltd, Chennai Petroleum Corp Ltd (CPCL) and Heavy Engineering Corp Ltd.
Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Minister Praful Patel said during Question Hour that bulk of the companies having top-level vacancies are "not in good (financial) health ... And (the government) was finding difficulty in appointing suitable persons to head these companies."
Board-level appointments are done through interviews conducted by Public Enterprise Selection Board. Vigilance clearance of the shortlisted candidate is then taken and the name then forwarded to the Cabinet Committee on Appointments, the final appointing authority.
"There are some delays due to CVC clearance... (which is) beyond control of administrative ministries," he said, adding the process of selection is initiated one year before the vacancy actually arises.
"Of the 21 vacant posts, the recommendations of PESB are already available in respect of 11 posts and are awaiting vigilance clearance/approval of competent authority. The selection progress has already been initiated for filling up remaining 10 posts," he said.
When Rajiv Pratap Rudy (BJP) asked why the government chose to appoint Air India head through a search committee rather than going through PESB, Patel said even candidates selected by search committee have to go through ACC.
Patel, who was the Civil Aviation Minister when Air India head was appointed through a selection committee in 2007, said his predecessor Rudy too had made appointments through the search committee route. "What was done in the past was also followed by this government," he said.
