Breaking News – Coal India Chairman’s tenure extended
Coal India Chairman, Nirmal Chandra Jha’s tenure has been extended for an unprecedented third term, which effectively means that he will now retire as Chairman of the world’s single largest coal producing company in January 2012.
It will be interesting to note that the mantle of Chairmanship fell on N.C.Jha’s lap, almost by default when both the candidates shortlisted by the Bureau of Public Enterprise Selection Board (PSEB) failed to get their Vigilance Clearances. As the validity of the selection panel expired on November 25th in the normal course, both BCCI S&MD T.K Lahiri and WCL C&MD D.C. Garg’s respective shots to the top slot became void.
It may be recalled that on 28th February 2011, the Chairmanship of CIL became vacant with the retirement of Partha S.Bhattacharyya which was temporarily sought to be filled by elevating the acting Technical Director for a period of three months, which was again extended for three more months.
The point to be noted here is that at a time when the nation’s energy security is at stake and when Coal India, custodian of its coal resources is serially failing to meet its production targets, the Government has yet again failed to fill the top slot with someone who is capable of leading the company from the front.
We have already witnessed the loss of one man day due to strike by 5 central trade unions over the calculation of bonuses, primarily because of the weak, vacillating management. NCWA9 (The National Coal Wage Agreement) has become due since June 2011, on which too, the Management will have to take a call and insiders are apprehensive that things will reach a flashpoint sooner than expected.
Almost rudderless, the boat that is CIL has been going in the momentum of earlier years so far, but the million dollar question is how far will the steam carry it? For how long? Will it remain on course till the new Search Committee find the right candidate, which has been mandated to look even in the private sector.
Watch this place.
Rajib Maitra.
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