Likely August start for Mathur as GAIL dir. BD
Three years after the GAIL director business development post became vacant, the saga of filling it is almost concluded.
Mahanagar Gas MD Rajeev Kumar Mathur, 57, is likely to take charge as GAIL director BD, vacant since September 2014, by end-August after approval from the cabinet's appointments committee, headed by Narendra Modi. Selected by the PESB on July 4, Mathur is likely to remain in the post till December 31, 2020 when he retires.
He was earlier chosen for this job on October 30, 2015 but his selection was scrapped amid rumours he didn't have the 'right' contacts. Some say Mathur was selected again because he is the most qualified of 11 candidates.
"He has wide experience in BD and marketing," says a colleague. Executive director BD Sanjib Datta was also interviewed.
Datta was originally selected in February 2014 for this post but that was aborted when rival Gajendra Singh claimed discrimination. Mathur was unavailable for comment.
BD is the smallest GAIL division with around 30 people and handles US shale assets, LNG swaps and LNG transportation.