Even as the government plans to empower public sector enterprises and give them more autonomy to facilitate faster decision-making, NHPC, the country’s largest hydropower company, has been without a full-time head for three years, with no clarity over completing the process in a time-bound manner.

The post fell vacant in January 2011 after the superannuation of chairman and MD SK Garg. With crucial decisions not being taken, most of the 4,000 MW projects under implementation are delayed. The company’s capacity addition target of 4,500 MW has also been slashed by more than half to 1,800 MW.

Sources in the power ministry said that there was still no clarity over the timing for finalising a name to take over as CMD of NHPC. This, despite the Public Enterprise Selection Board recommending NHPC director (projects), JK Sharma, to head the organisation.

?There is unusual delay in giving vigilance clearance to the selected candidate even though the ministry’s wing has given its go-ahead. If there is any further delay, the process of selection would have to be restarted,? the sources said.

Sharma was the second choice as CMD after NHPC director finance ABL Srivastava was denied vigilance clearance. Srivastava, who emerged as the top candidate in the PESB selection process, also held additional charge as CMD of NHPC for almost a year.

The delay has led to discontent among senior executives of the miniratna company. Sources said a few officials are not happy with G Sai Prasad, joint secretary in the ministry of power, officiating as the CMD of NHPC, for, according to the rules, the CMD of a category A company should be an additional secretary.

NHPC is not the only company facing delays in finding a head. NMDC is also headless for the last two years. In fact, till early last year there were more than a dozen PSUs without heads, with delays in selection ranging from a few months to a few years.

Faced with this problem, PSU body SCOPE has suggested empowering PESB and diluting the role of the administrative ministries in the selection of top executives.