Government to attract private sector talent for top CIL job

In a major shift in stand following a realisation that Coal India Ltd (CIL) needs to be managed better, the government has turned serious about attracting talent from the private sector for the top job of the near-monopoly coal miner.

The criteria for personnel from the private sector has been tweaked which indicates government's seriousness in attracting talent from the private sector as well, Coal India director personnel Mohan Das told dna.

"While employees of private companies were earlier eligible, this time the norms have been made specific with the minimum threshold limit for such private sector companies has been raised to Rs 5,000 crore of average annual turnover. These companies have to be listed on the bourses. Also, designations have been specified this time like CEOs, CMDs, presidents or directors for personnel who can apply," he said.

Dynamic and visionary are the attributes that Public Enterprise Selection Board would be looking for among the applicants, the recruitment advertisement issued on Monday said.

Such a candidate is desirable to unleash CIL's full potential and reach annual production target of 1 billion tonne a year, it said.

That's more that double of Coal India's 2013-14 production of 462.42 million tonne of coal.

"Senior executives in leadership roles like CEOs, CMDs, presidents or directors in listed companies with average turnover of Rs 5,000 crore in the last three years are also eligible. Relevant experience in the coal and mining sector is desirable though not mandatory," the recruitment advertisement issued by the Public Enterprise Selection Board said.

Government's effort to run CIL in an efficient manner comes at a time when the corporation has been selected to undertake a smooth transition from a flawed and scam-tainted participation of private sector in coal mining to a more transparent and sustainable role.

CIL has been asked by the Supreme Court to take custody of all working and de-allocated mines in six months.

But from maintaining production growth to acquiring mines abroad, performance of CIL has suffered because of the absence of a head to lead the firm.

The Kolkata-based public sector organisation doesn't have a full time CMD since the sudden exit of Narsing Rao in May.

Following Rao's resignation, additional coal secretary A K Dubey was given charge as CIL's CMD, and the tenure was extended for another period of three months till December-end.

Partha Bhattacharyya, who retired in 2011, was the last full time CMD to complete a full term. After that, CIL has remained headless for a year with a technical director and then an additional coal ministry secretary being inducted as acting head.

Then Rao was brought in from Singareni Collieries Company Ltd for his exemplary work in running the Andhra Pradesh government majority-owned entity efficiently.