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Journalism of Courage
Sudhir Vasudevas selection as the next chief of state-run Oil & Natural Gas Corporation has raked up a controversy with the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) refusing to accept the Central Vigilance Commissions clean chit to Vasudeva for alleged corruption.
Usually,the one-line vigilance clearance from the CVC is sufficient for the ACC to process its approval with the administrative minister recommending the selected name and the Home Minister and the Prime Minister,in that order,approving or disapproving it.
However,in Vasudevas case,the ACC has asked the Petroleum Ministry to provide details of complaints against him despite the recommendation of Petroleum Minister S Jaipal Reddy following CVCs explicit vigilance clearance. The complaint,in this case,refers to one by Jainarayan Prasad Nishad,MP,who claims he is not even aware that he wrote a letter.
The proposal was submitted to the ACC. However,the Competent Authority has directed that details of the complaints against Vasudeva as well as comments on the representation of Jainarayan Prasad Nishad MP may be furnished, says a letter from the Department of Personnel & Training which handles crucial appointments.
I am desired to convey the above directions of the Competent Authority for early compliance, says the DoPT letter dated June 3.
Vasudevas appointment as the next chairman-cum-managing director of Indias biggest maharatna ONGC has been dogged by controversy with the CVC twice disallowing clearance while PJ Thomas was heading it as the Central Vigilance Commissioner. It got approved on March 31 after a third submission which was a week after Thomass removal.
There are several complaints,some anonymous,with more than a dozen allegations against Vasudeva who is director (Offshore) for favouring contractors. However,this newspaper reported that the some of the complaints from MPs were fake with forged signatures and,in one case,on a fake letterhead. When contacted,Nishad,member of Lok Sabha from Muzaffarpur,Bihar,could not confirm whether he had written a letter.
People keep writing to me and I take up the issues on their behalf. I do not remember offhand about this letter. I can only confirm it once I return to Delhi from my constituency on June 15, he told The Indian Express.
ONGC,which goes for a follow-on public offer next month,is being run by director (Onshore) AK Hazarika officiating as its CMD after R S Sharma retired on January 31.
After holding back its verdict for a day,the Public Enterprise Selection Board on October 20 last year notified Vasudeva as the frontrunner and named R K Tyagi chairman of Pawan Hans Helicopters as the runner up after interviewing 13 candidates.
