With suspended Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer B S Lalli's five-year term ending, government is expected to start the process of finding his successor soon.

Official sources said that though Lalli had been suspended, a full time CEO of the Prasar Bharati could not be appointed as Lalli was still on the rolls.

"Lalli was slated to retire on December 28 and with his five-year tenure getting over, one of the factors because of which a full time CEO could not be appointed does not exist any longer," said an official source.

Lalli was suspended after the Shunglu Committee report indicted him for irregularities in the broadcast contract of the Commonwealth Games. A CBI probe was also launched into the matter.

In the absence of Lalli following his suspension, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had appointed an Additional Secretary rank officer Rajiv Takru as the acting CEO of the Prasar Bharati.

"The process for the removal of the CEO of the Prasar Bharati is not an easy one. Under the current Act, to remove the Prasar Bharati chief a Presidential reference to the Supreme Court was required," said a senior official.

"As per the Act, the Supreme Court would on the presidential reference conduct an inquiry and the report would again be sent to the president," the official said.

The sources said that before a new CEO is appointed to the Prasar Bharati, the government might change the appointment and removal procedure.

A committee headed by the Vice President, the Chairman of the Press Council and a representative of the central government would have the powers to appoint and remove the Prasar Bharati CEO as per the new procedure, they said.
 

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