RSMML : A seat of musical chair for IAS Officers

Every state has public enterprises established by statute known as statutory corporations like Rajasthan Finance Corporation or Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation and other category  is of  limited companies registered  under Companies Act like Rajasthan State Mines & Minerals Ltd a premier mining company of state of Rajasthan  with its corporate office at Udaipur  and contributing significant  high revenue to the state exchequer

State Government by tradition has allowed all these statutory corporations and public limited companies   to be headed by IAS officers and sometimes by senior RAS officers. Exceptions are Rajasthan State Construction Corporation at Jaipur headed by Er. Anil Sharma. This practice  of appointing Civil Engineers, as Head of RSBCC, was created  by the chief minister  Mr. Shiv Charan Mathur to accommodate his brother the then Chief Engineer in PWD and he was later elevated as Secretary to Govt of Rajasthan in the Public Works Department. Lately the  practice of   appointing a Civil Engineer as Secretary PWD was discontinued in favor of IAS lobby.
RSMML is one large public limited company having its Corporate Office at Udaipur. With the merger of Rajasthan State Mineral Development Corporation Ltd in RSMML it has become one of the largest mining companies owned by states in India. By natural corollary it would be in fitness of things if such a large multidisciplinary company is headed preferably by a Mining Engineer or a competent specialist technocrat. But State of Rajasthan treats this company as one of the insignificant departments of the state and its commercial value and high technology  has no relevance to state or its mines minister or to its chief minister. The period from 1973 to 2001 was a comparatively better period for RSMML when almost every  managing director spent almost full five years or more and contributed to its growth  but post 2001 period has seen M.Ds  changing frequently and at times  as additional charge to DMGR or to Divisional Commissioner or to Excise Commissioner or even to Collector Udaipur was given. With company having about half a dozen   Group General Managers (in the rank of Chief Engineers), the  handing over charge to a comparatively junior officer like Collector is an irony of fate for demoralizing these senior technocrats.
Historically, both Hindustan Zinc ( formerly known as Metal Corporation of India Ltd) and RSMML(formerly known as Bikaner Gypsums Ltd ) were companies in Private sector managed by a one man Mr. Atul Chandra Dutta, a Chemical Engineer from Jadhavpur University and having head office at 135,Canning Street Calcutta. HZL came into existence in 1965 by way of an ordinance issued by Union Government taking over the erstwhile Metal Corporation and RSMML came into existence after the State of Rajasthan acquired majority shares of erstwhile BGL and the company was renamed as RSMML.HZL was reprivatized in 2002 and if the current state of affairs continue the day may not be far off when this precious institution will be sold in private hands at throwaway price. Lately a Promoted IAS officer has been posted who is due to retire in June 2014 and have 9 months remaining to serve. He will take 2 months to understand RSMML/ 2 months he is likely to be on leave to meet his children overseas/2 months he will be on election duty and remaining 2or3 months to work for RSMML.   On a casual and intermittent basis a headless RSMML cannot survive for too long.
Union Government has a number of Public Sector Enterprises and here IAS officers , opting for work ,are asked to opt for PSU service or get reverted to Government. The Chief Executives of a PSU are selected by a Public Enterprises Selection Board and appointed by Union Government.
The State of Rajasthan  may consider creating a “Public Enterprises Selection Board” and a service called  “ Industrial Management Service Of Rajasthan ” and the recruitment of  specialists / technocrats be done and posted in the  state PSUs and selection of Directors/Chief Executives for different PSUs be done from this cadre by State PESB.
The City of Udaipur has a unique distinction of having Union Cabinet Ministers and Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha and why cannot they take initiative to save RSMML before it becomes too late.   With elections round the corner, the political leaders can be compelled to take both short term /long term measures for saving RSMML (a pride for Udaipur) from fall to Zenith.

Written by one who knows RSMML very closely