Race hots up for railway top job

Kolkata Metro general manager (GM) Radhey Shyam has emerged as the dark horse in the race for the post of full-time chairman of the railway board — a post that is being ‘looked after’ by member mechanical (MM) Arunendra Kumar since the retirement of Vinay Mittal on June 30.

Kolkata Metro general manager (GM) Radhey Shyam has emerged as the dark horse in the race for the post of full-time chairman of the railway board — a post that is being ‘looked after’ by member mechanical (MM) Arunendra Kumar since the retirement of Vinay Mittal on June 30.

Shyam — who is also ‘looking after’ the charge of GM, south-eastern Railways — is among the two officers for whom clearance has been received from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) from the list of names forwarded to it. The CVC has also cleared the candidature of AK Mittal, a stores officer who is currently posted as the GM of the south-western Railway.

Vigilance clearances of other candidates including that of Kumar and the North-east Frontier Railway GM, RS Virdi are still awaited, sources said.

Shyam — an officer of the civil engineering branch — has a long experience of dealing with the core functions of the public transporter.

Railways minister Mallikarjun Kharge is expected to shortly forward names of candidates for the top railway job for approval by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC).

The ACC wants the railways to resend the panel of names for GM posts after finalising a policy on such appointments, as ambiguities in existing policy has caused a large number of representations from the officers.

GMs appointed in the ‘open line’ are eligible for higher postings as board members or as CRB, while such options are denied to GMs of the production units, according to existing norms.