Ashok Chawla to be next CCI Chairman

Ministry of Corporate Affairs has proposed the name of former Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla as the next Chairman of the anti-trust watchdog Competition Commission of India (CCI).

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has sent Mr. Chawla's name for ACC (Appointments Committee of Cabinet) approval, a top source in the ministry told PTI.

Mr. Chawla retired as Finance Secretary on January 31 and was heading a committee on allocation, pricing and utilisation of natural resources till recently.

The term of incumbent Chairman Dhanendra Kumar ended on June 5.

Other shortlisted candidates included Anurag Goel, a member in the Commission and Vijay Sharma, former secretary in the environment and forests ministry.

They were among the three names short-listed from a total of 65 persons for the post.

The CCI chairman post is considered coveted as henceforth all high-value merger and acquisition deals will come under the purview of the commission.

CCI was established in 2003 to replace the erstwhile Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission and Mr. Kumar was appointed as its first chairman in February, 2009.