Modi govt will hire an outsider to overhaul colonial-era railway board

The government has decided to revamp the colonial-era railway bureaucracy , for which it has decided to allow a lateral entry of an external talent who would be occupying a senior position in the railway board. Other than this, the government would also be reorganizing the top decision-making body on functional lines and reframe the policy of appointments of GMs and DRMs so that any discretion can be eliminated.

The Appointment Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has decided to create a special post of Advisor (resource mobilisation & development) to be filled through lateral entry. This has been done so that the railway modernisation efforts can be accelerated.

The ministerial panel, headed by PM Modi, has also decided to reorganise the railway board on functional lines, for which posts of members for infrastructure, rolling stock, and traction would be made.

As of now, the board has members that deal with different departments, like engineering, traffic, mechanical, and staff, and a financial commissioner. The panel has also decided to create post of DGs in railway board for three services, viz. personnel, signal and telecom and stores, which until now didn't have representation as members.

Inter-services rivalry often blocks key projects, which has, in the past, impacted the government's efforts to upgrade the infrastructure which is long decaying, hence the change.

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