Rekha Pandey recommended as Director (Personnel) of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited

New Delhi: Rekha Pandey has been recommended for appointment as Director (Personnel), Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) by the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB).

The recommendation was made during the PESB selection meeting held on Tuesday (July 14, 2026). Pandey is currently serving as General Manager (HR/CSR), Coal India Limited (CIL).

Her name will now be forwarded to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for final approval. The appointment will be subject to vigilance clearance and completion of other prescribed formalities.

Notably, the post of Director (Personnel) at MCL fell vacant on July 1, 2026, following the retirement of Keshav Rao on June 30, 2026. Rao had been serving as Director (Personnel) since December 18, 2019. In view of the impending vacancy, the PESB had issued the vacancy notification on February 20, 2026.

A total of 11 candidates appeared before the PESB selection panel. They were:

1. Rathin Mitra, General Manager (Coordination), Coal India Limited
2. Rekha Pandey, General Manager (HR/CSR), Coal India Limited
3. Rajesh V Nair, General Manager (HR)/ HOD – Policy Cell, Rajbhasha and Executive Establishment of CIL, Coal India Limited
4. Surapureddi Venkata Ravindranath, General Manager(HR)/ HOD (Recruitment), Coal India Limited
5. Suvankar Parida, General Manager(HR), South Eastern Coalfields Limited
6. Ajay Behera, General Manager (HR), South Eastern Coalfields Limited
7. Jobi V P, General Manager (HR), Central Coalfields Limited
8. Sthitapragyna Mohanty, Executive Director (HR) and Chief People Officer, Rites Limited
9. Neeraj Singh, Chief General Manager, Power Finance Corporation Limited
10. Renuka Verma, Chief General Manager P and A, MSTC Limited
11. Rajendra Kumar Agrawal, Additional Secretary AS (RKA), Department of Personnel And Training