New Delhi: Former power secretary Sanjeev Nandan Sahai, who virtually made a last-minute entry into the list of candidates, has been selected as the new chairman of oil regulator PNGRB, sources said.
A Search Committee headed by V K Saraswat, Member (S&T), NITI Aayog, picked up Sahai, a 1986 batch IAS officer who retired as Secretary in Ministry of Power on January 31 this year, after interviews on Wednesday, three sources with knowledge of the matter said.
Sahai hadn't applied for the job and his name did not figure in the list of candidates that the panel sent out invites for interviews last month.
His name was possibly added after Oil Secretary Tarun Kapoor, who had 'endorsed' candidature of former IOC director-marketing Gurmeet Singh to be added to the list even though he hadn't originally applied, on May 28 afternoon asked panel members to include more names who they think are fit for the job, sources said. Following this, Sahai was approached and he was included on May 30 or 31, they said.
"He was last to be interviewed by the Committee on Wednesday," a source said.
Along with Sahai a couple of other names which the panel felt were suited for the job of Chairman, Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), were added.