Despite the current coal crisis, the search for a new chief for Coal India Limited, which accounts for nearly 80 per cent of the country’s total coal supply, will probably continue into next year. The process to replace Partha S Bhattacharya, who retired in February, has moved in fits and starts. Now, according to sources, the Coal ministry has suggested to the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) to scrap the selection committee and restart the process. PSEB has shortlisted two candidates – D.C. Garg and T.K. Lahiry – but apparently the Central Vigilance Commission has not cleared their candidature and instead recommended starting afresh. According to Ajay Bhalla, joint secretary in the coal ministry, the new process is likely to begin within a month. In the current climate it is understandable why the ministry does not wish to court controversy over a senior appointment. Playing safe, then, is the prudent option.
Ad hocism is in
This column had earlier reported how several secretary-level appointments had been kept in abeyance while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was away discharging his global duties. The situation, sources say, has not changed even weeks after his return. Several key ministries and departments continue with temporary arrangements.
The government earlier this month approved giving additional charge of department of pharmaceuticals to K. Jose Cyriac, who heads the department of chemicals and petrochemicals for a period of three months. Similarly S.N.A. Zaidi, secretary civil aviation, has also been saddled with the post of secretary, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. Clearly, the government doesn’t think these ministries important enough to merit full-timers. Or perhaps it believes that ad hocism works equally well!
Conflict of interest
On paper, retiring babus cannot seek private employment for at least one year after leaving the civil service. However, the rule was rarely followed in the UPA government’s first term, with many babus promptly taking up cushy jobs with top corporates. Apparently, according to figures revealed through an RTI application, in 2010 the government waived off the mandatory “cooling-off” period in as many as 25 cases, rejecting only one officer’s request. Curiously, the government has decided not to be lenient anymore. Recently, sources say, a senior official of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), who wished to join Larsen and Toubro was denied permission by the Minister of State for Personnel and the PMO V. Narayanswamy. Clearly, the government is more concerned about the “conflict of interest” which may arise when high ministry officials retire and join corporate houses which have dealings with those ministries. According to Narayanswamy, he has proposed doubling the “cooling-off” period to avoid such situations.
