There seems to be a tripwire at work whenever promotions to sensitive positions are decided. Nowhere is this more evident than at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), the Rs 761 Billion blue-chip public sector company that now straddles the universe as one of the most valued corporates in the country.

ONGC’s pre-eminent position in the pecking order also has a rub-off effect on its top executives: its chief executive and directors are fawned upon and acquire a patina of respect that their counterparts in lesser institutions can never hope to attain.

It’s this sheen that also fosters incredible jealousy. In a world of crabs, no one likes to see a contemporary elevated to a pole position without the slightest hitch. But what makes it even more agonising for people who make the cut is the fact that the interegnnum between their selection by the Public Enterprises Section Board and their eventual appointment has turned into a period in the purgatory – a time for torment when every whispered rumour, every suspected derring-do is trawled for validation.

It’s almost impossible to find anyone with clean hands, given the way that the corrupt Indian system works. If the situation is bad in government, it’s worse in the PSUs – especially in the oil sector – which are forced to surreptitiously make contributions to the election corpus of the party in power. This is a political reality that we have to live with. Prime Minister Manmohan may have a squeakly clean image but he has had to live with a Congress fundraiser like Murli Deora in the petroleum ministry.

Insinuations will always fly; reputations will be torn to shreds every time that someone is in the running for a pre-eminent position. That is par for the course. But all of this should play itself out before the worthy is selected by the PESB. Once they have been recommended for a position, the torment should stop. Any complaint after that process should be consigned to the dustbin. The reverse happens in India. As soon as someone is shortlisted for a position, anonymous letters start flying around to discredit the candidate and wreck his chances. What is worse is that forged epistles on the letter heads of members of parliament are circulated to torpedo somebody’s ambitions.

The latest victim of such a diabolic tirade is P.K. Borthakur, an executive director with ONGC who has been recommended for the post of director (offshore). This is an important post considering the quantum of high value contracts it handles every year.

www.indianoilandgas.com predicted weeks before the interview that he had an edge over others in the race. The PESB recommended his name for the post of director (offshore). But his appointment was stalled for months as sleuths pored over some wild charge levelled against him by his detractors. He has since been cleared. The file now goes to the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet.

One more director’s position will fall vacant shortly. S.V. Rao, director (exploration), is due to retire by the end of the year. On present reckoning, there will be a dozen candidates in the race. Fortunately, this is one post where the candidate will be picked on merit alone and won’t have to drum up resources, court influence in the corridors of power and curry favours.

Rao has enjoyed a clean professional reputation and this has worked in his favour. His successor can also be picked using the same template of competence and virtues. If that happens again, Narendra K. Verma, director of ONGC Videsh at present, may be picked to fill the slot.