CVC selection panel meeting likely this week

New Delhi, Jun 22: Three months after the quashing of PJ Thomas' appointment as CVC, the high-powered committee comprising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P Chidambaram and leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj is likely to meet this week to select a new head of the anti-graft body.

The three-member selection panel will finalise the name of the next Central Vigilance Commissioner at the meeting expected to be held later in the week.

Official sources said a list of over 20 probable candidates - mostly former bureaucrats - has been prepared by the Department of Personnel and Training and it will be placed before the selection panel for finalising a name.

Those whose names figure in the list include Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar, outgoing Home Secretary G K Pillai, former Chemicals and Fertilizers Secretary Bijoy Chatterjee, former Secretary, Legislative Affairs V K Bhasin, former Urban Development Secretary M Ramachandran and present Personnel Secretary Alka Sirohi.

The Supreme Court had on March 3 had set aside appointment of Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner and also laid down stringent guidelines for future appointments of CVC.

The apex court had termed as "illegal" the September 3, 2010 recommendation for appointment of Thomas as CVC since the high-powered committee did not consider the pending charge sheet against Thomas in the palmolein import scam.

The court said the committee's recommendation on appointment of Thomas "does not exist in law".

PTI