State-run Coal India Ltd has said that the company Director (Technical), Mr N.C. Jha, will hold the additional charge of Chairman and Managing Director till further orders.

“... N.C. Jha, Director (Technical), Coal India Ltd (CIL), has assumed the additional charge of Chairman-cum-Managing Director with effect from March 1, 2011, for a period of three months, or till regular appointment is made or until further orders, whichever is earlier,” the company said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange today.

Mr Jha took over after Mr Partha S. Bhattacharyya stepped down from the post on February 28 on attaining superannuation, the company said.

“Partha S. Bhattacharyya, on attaining the age of superannuation, relinquished the charge or the office of Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the company with effect from February 28, 2011,” it added.

Before assuming the charge of Coal India CMD in 2006, Mr Bhattacharyya was the CMD of Bharat Coking Coal Ltd, a subsidiary of CIL. He joined CIL as a management trainee in 1976.

The appointment of a full-time chairman CIL got delayed as necessary clearances are yet to arrive for Mr Tapas Kumar Lahiry, Chairman of Bharat Coking Coal Ltd, who was tipped to take over from Mr Bhattacharyya.

Mr Lahiry emerged as the front-runner in the race for the top post at CIL when the selection process concluded in November. The other person who was shortlisted was Mr D.C. Garg, CMD of Western Coalfields.

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