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Race for NHAI boss hots up
After making changes in rules for the appointment of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) chairman and advertising in the media, Road Transport and Highways (RTH) Ministry has so far received nine applications from bureaucrats, technocrats and even executives from the private sector.
Prominent among those who have applied for the coveted job are Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary PJ Oommen, Northern Railway GM HC Joshi, Sumit Chakraborty of IIM Calcutta and Lt Gen (Retd) AK Nanda. The last date for applying for the post is February 21.
Ever since Brijeshwar Singh retired as the NHAI Chairman in December 2010, the post has not been held by a full-time officer. RTH Secretary has also been doubling up as NHAI Chairman — earlier RS Gujral held the additional charge of NHAI Chairman and now AK Upadhyay is holding the dual charge.
Till Singh was the NHAI Chairman, the post was meant only for Secretary-level IAS officers. But for the first time, as enunciated by RTH Minister CP Joshi, it has been thrown open to technocrats from the public sector and even executives from the private sector in the hope that someone like ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan, Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI) Chairman Nandan Nilekani or Sam Pitroda, who is currently Adviser to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations, might take up the job.
RTH Ministry is vigorously advertising for the post for which the pay-scale of Rs 80,000 per month fixed plus allowances has been decided. The Chairman will hold office for a term of three years and would be eligible for re-appointment for a further term of two years provided that no Chairman will hold office after he has attained the age of 65 years.
According to the advertisement, a person shall not be qualified for the post of Chairman unless he: (a) is holding or has held on regular basis the post of Secretary to the Government of India or Additional Secretary to the Government of India for at least two years, or equivalent; or (b) is or has been a full-time Director on the Board of a Schedule ‘A’ CPSU notified as such by the Department of Public Sector Enterprises engaged primarily in infrastructure including infrastructure finance; or (c) is or has been a CEO or Director or holding an equivalent position in a public or private sector infrastructure entity or an entity engaged in infrastructure finance, having a net worth of not less than Rs 2,000 crore, and has professional knowledge and experience of dealing with infrastructure and finance.
An applicant from the last category would be considered for the post only after cooling off period of two years after he resigned from his job from the entity having dealings with the NHAI.
After making changes in rules for the appointment of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) chairman and advertising in the media, Road Transport and Highways (RTH) Ministry has so far received nine applications from bureaucrats, technocrats and even executives from the private sector.
Prominent among those who have applied for the coveted job are Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary PJ Oommen, Northern Railway GM HC Joshi, Sumit Chakraborty of IIM Calcutta and Lt Gen (Retd) AK Nanda. The last date for applying for the post is February 21.
Ever since Brijeshwar Singh retired as the NHAI Chairman in December 2010, the post has not been held by a full-time officer. RTH Secretary has also been doubling up as NHAI Chairman — earlier RS Gujral held the additional charge of NHAI Chairman and now AK Upadhyay is holding the dual charge.
Till Singh was the NHAI Chairman, the post was meant only for Secretary-level IAS officers. But for the first time, as enunciated by RTH Minister CP Joshi, it has been thrown open to technocrats from the public sector and even executives from the private sector in the hope that someone like ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan, Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI) Chairman Nandan Nilekani or Sam Pitroda, who is currently Adviser to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations, might take up the job.
RTH Ministry is vigorously advertising for the post for which the pay-scale of Rs 80,000 per month fixed plus allowances has been decided. The Chairman will hold office for a term of three years and would be eligible for re-appointment for a further term of two years provided that no Chairman will hold office after he has attained the age of 65 years.
According to the advertisement, a person shall not be qualified for the post of Chairman unless he: (a) is holding or has held on regular basis the post of Secretary to the Government of India or Additional Secretary to the Government of India for at least two years, or equivalent; or (b) is or has been a full-time Director on the Board of a Schedule ‘A’ CPSU notified as such by the Department of Public Sector Enterprises engaged primarily in infrastructure including infrastructure finance; or (c) is or has been a CEO or Director or holding an equivalent position in a public or private sector infrastructure entity or an entity engaged in infrastructure finance, having a net worth of not less than Rs 2,000 crore, and has professional knowledge and experience of dealing with infrastructure and finance.
An applicant from the last category would be considered for the post only after cooling off period of two years after he resigned from his job from the entity having dealings with the NHAI.
