Govt Constitutes Panel To Search, Select Next BPCL CMD

The government’s decision has come following the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) failing to find a suitable candidate after interviewing around a dozen senior rank officials of the BPCL, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and the HPCL. 

Subsequently, PESB recommended to the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas to explore alternative means for selection, including the formation of a SCSC or any other process deemed appropriate with the approval of the competent authority. 

According to the order constituting the SCSC, the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) said, “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas for making selection to the post of Chairman & Managing Director (CMD), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) through Search-cum-Selection Committee (SCSC).”

It further said that Chairperson of the PESB Mallika Srinivasan will be the Chairperson of the selection panel and Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas Pankaj Jain will be its member. Former CMD of the HPCL MK Surana has been drawn on the panel as outside expert of eminence, it added.

It is to be noted here that interestingly Surana was also part of the selection committee to find the CMD of the IOC and industry experts are wondering if this is going to be a sign of pre-determined decision. Whispers are all around questioning the government’s comfortability with Surana, as other industry veterans are not being considered for such an important panel. 

Keeping in mind the strategic importance of the BPCL, everyone is looking at the development with glued eyes, many believe that like the recent decision to rope in a private sector expert to lead the HPCL, the same could happen in this case also. 

Incumbent BPCL CMD G Krishnakumar’s tenure in the company is ending April 30, 2025 and before that the government has to find a replacement before that.