In power corridors it is heard that the panel for the post of OIL CMD may be shortly scrapped. In case this happens, it would make history as the fourth successive effort to select OIL CMD would meet a dead end. However, a section of observers still believes that Ex-Cairn official Sunil K Bharti and Dr. Ashutosh Karnatak, GAIL Director (Tech), have entered into the final run. The search-cum-selection-committee, on 25 April 2016, had interviewed 12 candidates which, among others, included P K Sharma, Director (Operations) OIL, NEEPCO CMD P C Pankaj, Mr Barua (ED ONGC), P K Rao (OVL), Dr Ashutosh Karnatak (GAIL Director), Anil Jain (IAS) and Jishnukant Barua (IAS). In its fist attempt to select the successor of S K Srivastav, who retired on June 30, 2015, as CMD OIL, the PESB on 21 November 2014 found none suitable for the post and decided to see more candidates. OIL Dir (Fin) Ms. R S Borah was not shortlisted for the interview. The PESB's second recommendation (dated 10 February 2015) for appointing Ms. Roopshikha Saikia Borah was rejected by the PMO which asked as to what had changed between November and February that Borah became suitable from unsuitable. On 10 September 2015, for the third time in 10 months, the government headhunter PESB did not find any of the applicants suitable for the top job at Oil India Ltd, the nation's second-biggest state-owned oil and gas explorer. The PESB had interviewed ten candidates, including the firm's Director (Finance) Rupshikha Saikia Borah, to select a new Chairman and Managing Director of OIL.