NEW DELHI: Amid concerns over shrinking job opportunities in public sector units (PSUs) and overall unemployment rates, the government on Tuesday said nearly 72 board-level positions are currently lying vacant or in the process to fill up in PSUs.
The government also said that it doesn’t have the details of the total vacant posts in PSUs. Minister of State (MoS) for Finance Dr Bhagwat Kishanrao Karao in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, however, said that efforts are being made to ensure that the board-level posts don’t remain vacant for long.
“As per the information provided by Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) as on December 8, 2022, 72 posts of CMDs/MDs/whole-time directors of central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) are vacant where the selection process is underway,” said the minister.
Right now, there are 248 operating CPSEs with a total on-roll employment of 8.41 lakh. The minister added that CPSEs’ function under the administrative control of different ministries or departments and recruitment to posts below the Board level is done by the management of respective CPSEs. “For smooth functioning of the organisation any vacant board level post is put under the additional charge of another serving officer,” said the minister.
India’s largest crude oil and gas company ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) didn’t have a full-time chief since March 2021. The company, which accounts for 71% of domestic oil production, recently recruited former BPCL (Bharat Petroleum Corporation of India) chief Arun Kumar Singh as the new Chairman and managing director. The post of director, HR in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has been vacant since January 2022.