Journalism of Courage
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today endorsed the appointment of ONGC Videsh managing director DK Sarraf as the next head of Oil & Natural Gas Corporation, setting aside petroleum minister M Veerappa Moily’s proposal to give S Vasudeva another year after he retires on February 28.
The Prime Minister went by the advice of cabinet secretary Ajit K Seth — which home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde ratified last week — that Sarraf be selected as he had a clean chit from Central Vigilance Commission while a similar vigilance clearance for Vasudeva was pending following seven unresolved complaints as on February 13.
The ministry had forwarded to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) two options – appoint Sarraf, who was selected by government headhunter Public Enterprises Selection Board, or give an extension to Vasudeva “pending vigilance clearance”. Petroleum secretary Vivek Rae, on February 13, recommended that “the only alternative is to grant extension to Vasudeva, pending vigilance clearance in case the ACC deems it fit to do so” since “it was clearly not feasible to obtain vigilance clearance for Vasudeva in the next few days”.
Moily, who in November first requested the Prime Minister for an extra year for Vasudeva, concurred with Rae. “I agree with the secretary,” he wrote on February 14.
But this did not cut ice with the Department of Personnel & Training, headed by the Prime Minister, which last December had categorically instructed Moily to send Vasudeva’s extension proposal “in the prescribed pro forma along with CVC comments for consideration of the ACC well before the expiry of the term of the present incumbent”. With two days left for Vasudeva’s retirement, the Prime Minister decided to go by the advice of Seth and ACC member Shinde and approved Sarraf as the new ONGC chairman and managing director.
