PMO gives nod to Vasudeva as ONGC’s new CMD

The Prime Minister’s Office, which recently re-opened the case of selection of Sudhir Vasudeva as the next chief of India’s highest profit making firm, the state-run Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), has finally cleared his appointment as the new chairman and managing director (CMD) of the company.

The Prime Minister’s Office, which recently re-opened the case of selection of Sudhir Vasudeva as the next chief of India’s highest profit making firm, the state-run Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), has finally cleared his appointment as the new chairman and managing director (CMD) of the company.

Sources said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh approved Vasudeva’s appointment after the CVC on Friday gave its final clearance on all complaints received against him. “The CVC has finally set aside all the alleged corruption charges against Vasudeva even after the PMO re-opened the case with CVC following fresh charges,” a government official said.

The orders for appointment of Vasudeva, 57 were issued by the petroleum ministry late Monday evening, a top ministry official said.

Interestingly, in August this year, just when Vasudeva’s case was in the last leg of getting a final nod from the members of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) that includes the PM and home minister, the case was re-opened by the CVC on instructions from the PMO, which received fresh complaints against Vasudeva.

This was despite Vasudeva getting a clean chit once from the CVC and the approval of the administrative minister—petroleum and natural gas minister, Jaipal Reddy — in this case.

The government headhunters Public Enterprise Selection Board had on October 19 last year selected Sudhir Vasudeva, 56, head of offshore oil and gas fields of ONGC, to replace Sharma on January 31.

But Vasudeva’s appointment got delayed as complaints were made against him for corruption by MPs.