Five zonal railways finally get new GMs

The Appointments Committee of the Union cabinet on Wednesday finally approved the appointment for the posts of five general managers (GMs) of various zonal railways,which had been lying vacant for months. But at the same time,the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has rejected the Railway ministry’s proposal to transfer four current GMs from production units to other zones.

The ministry had proposed the unusual move of lateral transfer of some of the current GMs of production units like Chittaranjan Loco Works,Rail Wheel Factory,Bangalore,and Diesel Loco Works,Varanasi,to other zonal railways,which would have made them eligible for the posts of Members of Railway Board in the near future. Sources said the PMO and the Appointments Committee have asked the Railways to submit the proposal afresh by incorporating changes as the justification for such a move apparently did not satisfy the committee.

Sources said the proposal of transfers had many contradictions. For example,the GM of Chittaranjan Loco Works,Radhey Shyam,was proposed by the ministry to be posted as GM of South Eastern Railway,citing his age and eligibility,and as a result he would have been in line to become Member Engineering of Railway Board. However,the same logic would not apply to B P Khare,the GM of Varanasi Diesel Loco Works,whose name was proposed for GM,Central Railway,as he is set to retire in few months’ time.