DoT, PESB lock horns over chairman of BSNL

NEW DELHI: The country''s biggest telecom service provider BSNL plans to invest Rs 1,300 crore this year to fend off fierce private sector rivals. But it has to make do with a caretaker chairman since Prithpal Singh retired in December, as the interviews have been stalled over the eligibility of one candidate.
According to documents available with The Times of India, the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) and the department of telecommunications (DoT) have not been able to sort out in seven months their differences over the eligibility of G D Gaiha, chairman of state-owned telecom equipment maker TCIL.
Gaiha does not fulfill the government''s job-hopping norms. The department of personnel and training (DoPT) rules say officials can move from one PSU to another only after spending two years in their present jobs. This rule will not apply if the PSU is slated for disinvestment.
Gaiha has been in TCIL for only 13 months and falls short of the cooling period by 11 months. DoT feels this is not a problem on the ground the Disinvestment Commission had recommended that the government put TCIL on the block.
Faced with this googly, the PESB twice went to the disinvestment ministry which rejected DoT''s argument on both occasions. It said mere recommendation does not make any company a selloff case. The ministry wrote to PESB as late as January 23 to emphasise that TCIL is not in the government''s selloff list. For good measure, the ministry also sent the list of 37 companies slated for disinvestment.
The PESB has now suggested that DoT seek the Cabinet''s waiver on the cooling period if it wants Gaiha to be considered for the BSNL chairman''s post.
The PESB had advertised the post on August 17, 2003. It ran the advertisement again in December to announced relaxation in qualifications. The second advertisement allowed candidates with M.Sc. to compete. Usually, only those with a minimum qualification of an engineering and/or managemnet degree are considered.
The Supreme Court has laid down that only age relaxation can be granted for a deserving candidate and not in qualification for key government jobs.