The National Democratic Alliance government has named 10 Bharatiya Janata Party leaders independent directors at public sector undertakings. BJP members have been offered positions on the boards of the Engineers India Ltd, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd and the National Aluminium Company Ltd, among other PSUs, The Indian Express reported.
BJP’s Delhi unit Vice President Shazia Ilmi (pictured above) has been appointed an independent director at Engineers India Ltd; Gujarat IT cell convenor Rajika Kacheria, who is a cosmetologist, has been named the head of Cotton Corporation of India Ltd; and Bihar MLA Kiran Ghai Sinha has been listed as an independent director of the National Aluminium Company.
Moreover, teacher-turned politician and BJP’s minority chief in Gujarat Asifa Khan will be on the board of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd; former BJP MLA candidate from Odisha Surama Padhy has been given a position on the board of Bharat Heavy Electricals; and BJP’s Karnataka unit secretary Bharathi Magdum will serve on the state trading board.
The United Progressive Alliance administration was criticised for appointing Congress loyalists to the boards of PSUs. In 2014, the Securities and Exchange Board of India had amended its rules to make it mandatory to have at least 50% non-executive or independent directors on the boards of public sector companies and at least one woman director.
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