11 candidates for BSNL top job face interview today

11 candidates for BSNL top job face interview today
Thomas K. Thomas
New Delhi, Oct. 2
The Search Committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary has shortlisted 11 candidates for the post of Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.
The shortlisted candidates include Mr R. K. Upadhyay, Managing Director, Telecommunications Consultants of India Ltd; Mr K. L. Dhingra, Managing Director, Indian Telephone Industries Ltd; and Mr Anil Kaushal, Chief General Manager, Northern Telecom Maintenance Region, BSNL.
Union reacts
The interview will be held on Sunday, according to Government sources. However, BSNL employees union has expressed concern over the committee's decision to change some of the eligibility criteria. “The entire effort of the Sam Pitroda panel to induct best talent from within and outside BSNL is being reduced to ashes by arbitrarily changing the eligibility criterion so as not only to exclude best talent from outside but from within BSNL too…,” said a letter from Mr G.L. Jogi of the Sanchar Nigam Executives Association to the Cabinet Secretary.
“In a prestigious state-owned telecom enterprise, facing worst-ever crisis, the need of the hour is to spot and rope in the best talent to steer the company out of the deep waters that it is in, not to frame the eligibility conditions in a manner to constrict the selection to a few and thus, defeat the objective for which initiative to constitute search cum selection committee was taken,” the association added. Telecom Watchdog, a consumer group based in Delhi, has also raised similar concerns.
The list of candidates includes Mr Ram Yagya, Chief General Manager, BSNL Chhatisgarh, Mr N.N. Gupta, CGM, J&K-BSNL, Mr A. K. Bhargava, CGM, MTNL, Mr Rakesh Kapoor, CGM- Himachal Pradesh-BSNL, Mr Aloke Kaul, CGM, Maharashtra-BSNL and Mr Kuldeep Singh, acting-CMD, MTNL.