BJP's Sambit Patra appointed to ONGC board

New Delhi: BJP's national spokesperson Sambit Patra was today appointed as non-official director on the board of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Ltd.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved his appointment to the post for a period of three years, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.

Other BJP leaders too have been appointed to the board of central public sector undertakings.

BJP leader Syed Zafar Islam was appointed as non- official independent director of Air India in May.

Islam, a former investment banker, joined the BJP on April 5, 2014.

Shazia Ilmi, former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, was appointed as independent director in Engineers India Ltd (EIL) in January. At present, she is the vice-president of the BJP Delhi unit.

The saffron party's member from Gujarat, Asifa Khan, had also been made non-official independent director of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL).

Existing norms by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) mandate companies to have at least 50 per cent of directors as non-executive or independent directors with at least one woman director.