Earlier this month, under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, a selection committee was appointed to choose a deserving candidate for the succession of soon-to-be retiring Managing Director of DMRC, Manghu Singh. More than half a month later, the Delhi government has initiated the process of appointment with a worthy candidate in mind who is most likely to succeed the present MD.
Besides the deputy Chief Minister, the committee also included Transport Minister of Delhi Kailash Gahlot, Additional Chief Secretary of AAP, and an external expert to conduct interviews of 20 or so candidates, including many senior officials of DMRC.
It is highly likely the chosen candidate for the next MD position in DMRC is Vikas Kumar, who is Director of Operations in Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Vikas Kumar’s past work experience has been with the Indian Railway Traffic Service. He was part of the 1988-officers batch and worked as an executive director (Operations) in IRTS. His appointment as Director of Operations in DMRC happened last year only whereas he has been working in DMRC since 2005.
His appointed candidature has been due to his expertise and works ethics within DMRC since joining. The proposed appointment will need the consultation from first lieutenant governor and then from the central government.
The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has also put forth its view upon the appointment of the new MD of DMRC. The prerequisite requirement set by them was the holder of the MD position should have relevant knowledge and expertise in the area of metro construction and operations. Vikas Kumar was able to fill this requirement easily with his years of work experience within the metro corporation, along with other areas of expertise like revenue, etc.
Other than this, the educational requirement for the post of Managing Director was also mentioned in the released advertisement by the Delhi government. The candidate should be an engineering graduate, with experience in senior-level management. Candidates with postgraduate in project management, experience in implementing and operating transit systems of railway, and MBA were given priority in the recruitment drive.
