NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati chairman Surya Prakash has written to the government to expedite the selection of a new CEO and member (personnel) in the pubcaster.

Prakash told the indiantelevision.com that he had sought from the government to ensure the vacancies are filled soon to facilitate decision-making.

A high-level committee headed by India's vice-president Hamid Ansari is needed to meet as stipulated in the Prasar Bharati Act 1990 to select a new CEO and other members.

Meanwhile, member (finance) Rajeev Singh is scheduled to take over as the interim chief executive officer of the pubcaster from 6 February. He succeeds Suresh C Panda who was the member (personnel) and is due to retire on 4 February.

The decision was taken at a board meeting held recently in Hyderabad. Panda had been appointed as the acting CEO after Jawhar Sircar demitted office on 4 November.

Singh, who has been serving Prasar Bharati as member (finance) since April 2015, was previously with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd in different roles for a little over nine years. Singh is an engineering graduate from Nagpur University and is a post-graduate in business administration from Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi.

Singh’s appointment comes at a time when the public broadcaster is all set to revamp Doordarshan by introducing new prime time programming in February following e-auctions for these slots.

The information and broadcasting ministry had issued an advertisement, calling applications for the post of member (personnel) and received 56 applications.