The public enterprises selection board (PESB) has given its assent to the appointment of 1986-batch IAS officer S Narsing Rao as the chairman and managing director of Coal India Limited (CIL). According to highly placed source in the ministry of coal, Rao is now a step closer towards occupying the top post at CIL though he still has to get several other clearances like the ones from the chief vigilance commission,  the appointment committee of the cabinet clearance, and finally, one from the prime minister's office.

Rao is an Andhra Pradesh-cadre IAS officer, and has been serving as the CMD of the state-controlled Singareni Collieries Company Limited since 2006.The PESB has sent its approval to the ministry of coal. Now, the administrative ministry will further scrutinize the details of Rao andforward it to the appointements committee of the cabinet. Coal India had been without a chief for ten months now. Ironically, Rao  is the fourth non-CIL nominee for the top post.