P K Singh CEO of Duragpur Steel Plant will be the new chairman of Steel Authority of India Limited. His appointment, which was cleared by the government, fills up a key vacancy in top leadership at the country's largest state owned domestic steel company.

SAILBSE 1.13 % remained without a regular chief since June 11, 2015 when the Modi government refused to extend the term of the-then incumbent chairman C S Verma.

At the ned of his five year tenure though, he was eligible for an extension till he attained the superannuation age of 60 years in September 2019.

The Rakesh Singh, secretary, ministry of steel took additional charge of the post of Chairman, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) on June 11, 2015. After his retirement from service, MSME secretary Anup Pujari was given charge as chairman, SAIL on October 1, 2015.

An alumnus of IIT, Roorkee in Metallurgical Engineering, Singh started his career in SAIL at its Bokaro Steel Plant in 1980. Subsequently he worked in IISCO Steel Plant, Durgapur Steel Plant, Bokaro Steel Plant and Bhilai Steel Plant. His immediate earlier stint was at Bhilai Steel Plant as Executive Director (Works) and prior to that he was Executive Director (Works) at IISCO Steel Plant. He is considered an expert in blast furnace technology and operations.

Singh's name was shortlisted for the top job after the Public Enterprises Selection Board selected him for the post in August 2015. The position of SAIL chairman, one of the highest profile corporate appointments within public sector companies, had attracted nearly a dozen-odd candidates. Also in the fray, alongwith Mr Singh were A K Chaudhary, director ( finance), SAIL, Kalyan Maity, Director (Raw Materials), SAIL and S K Saha, Executive Director, SAIL.

Others include, Malay Chatterjee, Chairman and Managing Director of KIOCL, N K Nanda, Director Technical NMDC, M S Rana, CMD , Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCL) , Jaideep Srivastava, CMD, Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT), Anupam Anand, Director (Personnel) Hindustan Copper Limited, and R P Singh Director (Personnel), PGCIL, P K Mukhopadhyay, Member Secretary, DVC and Rashmi Goel, IRAS, MOR.

 

economictimes.indiatimes.com

Report Abuse