Labanyendu Mansingh, former consumer affairs secretary, will head the Petroleum Regulatory Board that will oversee downstream oil and natural gas sector.

Mansingh, a 1970-batch IAS officer from Gujarat cadre, was the number one choice for the post of chairman of PRB at the screening done by the Search Committee headed by Planning Commission Member (energy) Kirit Parikh, top officials said.

Former Petroleum Secretary S C Tripathi, who had not applied for the position, emerged as the second best choice. Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd chairman and managing director M B Lal was the number one choice for the post of Member (Technical) on the appellate body.

B S Negi, former director (business development), GAIL was the second choice. The Committee, which includes petroleum secretary M S Srinivasan, economic affairs secretary Ashok Jha, legal affairs secretary T K Vishwanathan and commerce secretary G K Pillai, has sent its recommendation to the cabinet committee for appointments.

The regulatory board is likely to be in place by the end of this month, though it has started functioning with a secretary Ajay Tyagi, who was earlier a joint secretary in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas.

Besides the chairman and member secretary, the Board will have three members, including B S Negi, Leela Mahendale of Petroleum Conservation Research Association and J G Pandse, currently member (income tax) in CBDT, would be the other two.

The Petroleum Regulatory Board will regulate refining, processing, storage, transportation, distribution, marketing and sale of petroleum and petroleum products, excluding production of crude oil and natural gas.