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Coal India CMD P M Prasad to hold additional charge of Director (Technical)

The Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of Coal India Limited (CIL), P M Prasad will hold the additional charge of Director (Technical).

The move was necessitated as Dr Veera Reddy Boothukuru, Director (Technical) of the CIL superannuated from services of the state-run coal miner with effect from September 1, 2024. Hence, he ceased to be Director of CIL from today.

“The Deputy Secretary to the Govt. of India, Ministry of Coal, New Delhi, vide his letter no. 21/16/2024-ESTABLISHMENT (B) dated 27.08.2024 has conveyed the approval of Hon’ble Minister of Coal for entrustment of the additional charge to the post of Director (Technical), CIL to Shri PM Prasad, CMD, CIL for an initial period of three (03) months w.e.f 01.09.2024 or till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is the earliest,” the CIL said in a regulatory filing today.

Prasad has assumed the charge of CIL CMD on July 1, 2023. Prior to this, he was holding charge of Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL). Prasad has 38 years of experience in the varied facets of operations and management.

A mining engineer from Osmania University, he did M. Tech. in ‘Open-Cast Mining’ from Indian School of Mines (IIT- ISM), Dhanbad. In1988, he acquired first class mines manager certificate from DGMS. He also obtained degree in law from Nagpur University in 1997.

Prasad began his career as an executive trainee with Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL) in1984. He exhibited dedication, hard work, sincerity and dynamic leadership as he progressed through different roles in the Company and became General Manager of Lingaraj area in Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL). In 1994-95, he was instrumental in reopening of DRC mines, which were affected by the underground fire during his posting in WCL. For this remarkable job, he was awarded as ‘Best Mines Manager’ from Secretary Coal, Ministry of Coal (MoC) and Chairman, Coal India Limited in1995.

During his successful stint as General manager at MCL, he was responsible for successful opening and operations of ‘Kaniha Open cast Project’ from March, 2010. He is also credited for diversion of nallah at Hingula Opencast Area to unlock coal reserve of 26.00 MT in the year 2014-15 and commencement of New Railway Siding No. 9 at Talcher Coalfields. He has a special penchant for safety and the projects with which he was associated have won various prizes at different competitions including hat trick for two projects i.e., Padmapur Opencast, WCL between 1996 and1998 and Nandira UG Mine, MCL between 2004 and 2006.

In May, 2015, he joined NTPC as Executive Director (Coal mining). He was acknowledged for expediting the process of award of MDO projects and awarded Pakribarwadih coal block (NTPC’s first project) and floated NITs for remaining coal blocks.