Senior UCIL official removed

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, Nov 25: In a rare and significant action within Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL), the company’s Technical Director, Manoj Kumar, has been removed from his post following an inquiry into allegations of delay and non-compliance with official orders. The action was taken by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Mumbai, based on a complaint filed earlier by former UCIL CMD Dr. Santosh Satpathy, who accused Kumar of repeatedly disregarding his directives.

Following the order, UCIL’s current CMD, Dr. Kanchan Anand Rao, has been given additional charge as Technical Director. The development has created unrest among UCIL officials, as this is reportedly the first time in the company’s 70-year history that such strong action has been taken against a high-ranking technical officer over administrative indiscipline.

Confirming the development, Manoj Kumar said he will “take up whatever responsibility the department assigns next,” while alleging that “this is entirely the doing of former CMD Dr. Satpathy.” Kumar had joined UCIL as a Mine Manager and was appointed Technical Director in April 2024 after being selected by the Public Enterprises Selection Board. After nearly 20 months in the role, he now stands relieved.

Responding to the situation, Dr. Satpathy said he was “deeply hurt by a fabricated harassment complaint” filed against him by a female officer during the final days of his tenure. He claimed it was part of a “larger conspiracy” by officers who were upset after the transfer of 18 officials in June 2025, alleging a “corporate attack” to malign him.