Metro loses its crisis manager

Finding a replacement for Metro’s director (project and planning) Kumar Keshav, who resigned on Wednesday, will be a challenging task for Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Subhendu Ray reports.

Finding a replacement for Metro’s director (project and planning) Kumar Keshav, who resigned on Wednesday, will be a challenging task for Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

HT Image

The process has already started and one name doing the rounds is SD Sharma, executive director (civil). Sharma, a close aide of Keshav, is the only executive director-level officer in DMRC with a background in civil engineering."He is the only person within the organisation who is fairly well-versed in project-related works," said a DMRC official.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/Popup/2012/4/20_04_pg14a.jpg

Keshav had replaced Vijay Anand in 2009 after the Zamrudpur accident that claimed six lives. He was instrumental in completing phase 2 under an extremely tight deadline for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

“Keshav’s resignation at a crucial time, when construction work on the most complex phase 3 has just started, has posed a serious challenge to us,” said a DMRC official.

The board of directors accepted Keshav’s resignation on Thursday afternoon but requested him to stay till May so that he can at least start work on the longest Mukundpur-Shiv Vihar corridor running along Ring Road.

Keshav had joined DMRC as chief project manager, (west) on May 1, 2002 on deputation from Indian Railways. Earlier, he worked as Senior Divisional Engineer, Central Railway in Jhansi.

“During his tenure as director projects, he was the man behind executing challenging corridors such as Inderlok–Mundka, Central Secretariat–Badarpur and also metro construction in Dwarka under very tight deadline,” said Anuj Dayal, spokesperson of DMRC.