In a significant development, the Public Enterprises Selection Board has recommended Hemant Sharad Pande for appointment as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Western Coalfields Limited. The recommendation was made after interviews conducted by the board on February 13, 2026.
Pande is currently serving as Functional Director and Director (Personnel) at Western Coalfields Limited. His name will now be forwarded to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet for final approval, subject to vigilance clearance and completion of other prescribed formalities.
The CMD post at Western Coalfields Limited fell vacant on January 31, 2026, following the retirement of incumbent Jai Prakash Dwivedi, who had been serving in the position since February 1, 2024.
A total of 12 candidates were considered for the post of CMD, WCL . These included;
- Om Prakash Mishra, Executive Director (Community Development), Coal India Limited
- Kripa Shankar Singh, Executive Director (Quality Management), Coal India Limited
- Md Anzar Alam, Director (Finance), Eastern Coalfields Limited
- Pankaj Pandey, Director Technical, Mineral Exploration And Consultancy Limited (MECL)
- Bikram Ghosh, Director (Finance), Western Coalfields Limited
- Darla Sunil Kumar, Director(Finance), Finance HOD., South Eastern Coalfields Limited
- Hemant Sharad Pande, Functional Director, Director (Personnel), Western Coalfields Limited
- Jagadish Chandra Mazumdar, Executive Director, NLC India Limited
- Pravin Dongre, Executive Director ED(SDNZ&HSE), Indian Oil Corporation Limited
- Dibendu Das, Director (Finance), Engineering Projects (India) Limited
- Shivkumar Premlal Deshmukh, Chief Engineer, Chief Engineer Manipur Project, Ministry of Railways
- Rakesh Kumar Rousan, Executive Director Business Development, Railway Board, Ministry of Railways
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