Sanjib Datta loses bid for GAIL dir. BD post
After months of uncertainty prime minister Narendra Modi on May 7 rejected Sanjib Datta’s selection as GAIL director business development amid allegations of bias in the selection process.
“We got the file back on May 11,” confirms an oil ministry source. “The PESB will be asked to re-advertise the post this month (May).
” Datta was selected on February 14, 2014 to replace S. Venkatraman who retired in September 2014.
But GAIL rival Gajendra Singh filed a discrimination complaint with the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes over his exclusion from the race, forcing the PMO to return Datta’s file to the oil ministry in November 2014. Four months later oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan again recommended Datta to the PM but then GAIL’s vigilance department accused GAIL’s board of bias while shortlisting candidates, derailing the whole process.
At least 10 executive directors are expected to re-apply, among them Manoj Jain, S. Narayanan, AK Singh, PK Gupta, MB Gohil, Gajendra Singh, Rajeev Mathur, Narendra Kumar, PK Pal and even - Sanjib Datta.
