The Hindu Business Line : SAIL likely to get part-time Chairman

Ministry sources said that going by the present trend of appointments of chiefs of public sector units, the senior-most Director is normally given the additional charge.

New Delhi , July 26

Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) is likely to be headed by an acting Chairman, on a part-time additional charge from August, as the present Chairman, Mr V.S. Jain, retires at the end of this month.

The Ministry of Steel is understood to have sent the name of Mr S.K. Rungta, the present Commercial Director of the public sector steel major to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) last week and it normally takes around six weeks for the full selection procedure to be completed, Ministry sources said.

In case the formal order is not in place by this month-end, as an interim arrangement, the Government would have to give the responsibility of the Chairman's office as additional charge to some one.

Ministry sources told Business Line that going by the present trend of appointments of chiefs of public sector units, the senior-most Director is normally given the additional charge.

But, officials pointed out that there could also be the possibility that the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Steel would be taking over as acting Chairman of SAIL till the Cabinet Committee's order for appointment of fulltime Chairman comes in.

In December 1996, the then additional secretary in the Ministry had been the interim Chairman after Mr M.R.R. Nair retired and till Mr Arvind Pande was appointed to the post. However, since both precedents are there, it would be up to the Government to decide as to who would be the interim head, in case the orders do not come in by next Monday, officials said.

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