M S Manchanda is ITDC chief

In yet another change at the top, M S Manchanda, a hotel industry veteran, on Tuesday took charge as chairman and managing director of state-owned India Tourism Development Corporation in place of senior IAS officer Rajeev Talwar.

Talwar's brief tenure was marked by a major controversy in ITDC with Tourism Minister Renuka Choudhury finding fault with the procedure adopted for the purchase of Black Label scotch whisky by the corporation for duty-free shops run by it.

The controversy saw the exit of Union tourism secretary Uma Pillai and Amitabh Kant, who was removed as ITDC chairman.

The 55-year-old Manchanda, an ITDC vice-president in charge of hotels, joined the corporation as a management trainee in 1971. He has risen through the ranks, holding several key positions on the way up.

Talwar, who will continue was Additional Director General, Tourism, said that his term as ITDC chairman expired on March 31. "I accomplished the task of sorting out the Black Label controversy and successfully starting the Night Bazaar," he said.