NEW DELHI: Interviews to appoint heads of National Housing Bank (NHB) and India Infrastructure Finance Company (IIFCL) are scheduled to be held on Monday, sources said. A government-appointed panel in 2017 had interviewed candidates for the post of managing director (MD) IIFCL but it did not find anyone suitable to lead the organisation. So, the Department of Financial Services (DFS) invited fresh applications in August last year. The infrastructure lender has been without a regular MD for the past 20 months. Housing finance regulator NHB became headless in August last year following the resignation of Sriram Kalyanaraman amidst allegations of irregularities and misconduct against him. The DFS has shortlisted about 12 candidates for the post of managing director of NHB and five for IIFCL, sources said. The interview panel comprises Financial Services Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training Secretary and some external members. According to the public notice issued by the DFS, the candidate should have at least 25 years of experience as on the date of vacancy in different verticals in commercial banks or financial institution. Of this, two years of experience should be either at the board level or GM in nationalised banks or CGM in IFCI, SIDBI, IIFCL, Exim Bank, SBI or RBI. Even officers serving as joint secretary or above in the Government of India or at an equivalent in the state government with 2 years experience in the field of commercial or industrial finance are eligible, it said. The appointment will be initially for 3 years and may be extended by up to 2 years based on performance, it said.