VK Sibal and talk of an extension
Moves are afoot to extend the tenure of DGH boss VK Sibal, who is scheduled to step down on November 1, after five years at the helm.
“His aides have already starting working on his extension,†we hear. “They are preparing his file to ensure it goes through.
†Still months away, any news about Sibal’s position will be keenly watched by oil companies operating in India. Although answerable to the oil ministry, Sibal is the single most important point of contact for upstream operators in India.
Rub him the wrong way, and the consequences can be painful, as British Gas, Cairn, and most recently Santos, have all discovered. Whether Sibal gets an extension is still an open question.
Some say the government is planning to do away with the system that allows senior officials to extend their stay. Born on January 19, 1952, Sibal was appointed DGH director general on November 1, 2004 from Oil India, where he was director human resources.
