Sharma set to take charge of ONGC's top post

New Delhi, May 18 (UNI) After almost an year-long uncertainty over the post of CMD of the state-owned oil firm ONGC, acting CMD R S Sharma is set to head the country's largest exploration and production giant.

In the first or second week of next month, the search committee, headed by Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) Chairman N K Sinha, may interview the 27 candidates who had met the eligibility criteria for the top job, sources said.

Mr Sharma took charge of the acting CMD of the largest PSU from May 25, 2006, after the completion of Subir Raha's five year tenure.

The committee has been constituted to select the chairman of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

Among the frontrunners for the top post of the firm are Najeeb Jung, a former joint secretary in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas, and R S Sharma, ONGC's acting chairman.

Mr R S Butola, managing director of ONGC Videsh, ONGC director (onshore) A K Hazarika, director (HR) A K Balyan, director (exploration) D K Pandey, director (technical) U N Bose and GAIL director (HR) M R Hingnikar are also in the fray.

In the month of August last year, Mr Sharma was the first choice of PESB followed by Mr Hazarika. But the Prime Minister's Office scrapped the panel and asked for a broader selection process by inviting candidates from private sector too.

Besides the ONGC directors and GAIL executive, Hindustan Petroleum's subsidiary Prize Petroleum CEO M N Prasad, Essar Oil Vice-President H N Belawat, Surya Roshi President B B Pradhan, Singareni Collieries director J V Dattatreyulu, Borosil Glass Works Director R V Pillai, Hubli Electric Supply Director (finance) K Muthupandian and Agasthya Biofarm India Chairman D Aravindakshan are among the other candidates who meet the eligibility criteria for the top job.

Mr Sharma joined ONGC Board as Director (Finance) in March 2002. He is also on the Board of ONGC Videsh Ltd.

UNI