Vikas Kumar selected as new Managing Director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation

New Delhi, India (Metro Rail Today): Despite objections of Central Government on selection procedure, the selection commitee headed by deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodiya has selected Vikas Kumar, who is presently working in the capacity of Director (Operations), as its “best suited candidate” for taking over the charge as the new Managing Director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC). The Delhi Government has now sent the file to the central government which is supposed to hold consultations with the Delhi Government before the name is finalised.

Vikas Kumar is an officer of the 1988-batch of the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS), and was earlier working as the executive director of operations in the DMRC, prior to his current role i.e. Director (Operations). He was elevated on the post of Director (Operations) in DMRC on December 1, 2021.

“We found no better person to fit the role of MD, DMRC than the person who has been responsible for the entire operations of the Delhi Metro, which has the largest network in all of India. Now, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is free to discuss the matter with us as we have sent the file to them informing about the Delhi government’s choice. But, it will be difficult for MoHUA also to deny Kumar the position because with the construction of most phases being over, the focus currently is on operations, monitoring and keeping up with the standards of the Delhi Metro,” said a senior official from Delhi government, HT reported. Although, no official notification naming Vikas Kumar as the new Managing Director of DMRC has been issued till publication of this news, but several government officials confirmed that Vikas Kumar is likely to receive the approval from the Central Government. He will replace Mangu Singh, whose superannuation is due on March 31, 2022 after several extensions.

Mangu Singh is DMRC’s second MD, after E Sreedharan, and took charge on December 31, 2011. His tenure has been extended multiple times, most recently in September last year, till March 31.

The search for a new MD has not been without controversy as the Centre had expressed its displeasure over having no representative in the selection committee. Recently, Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) Manoj Joshi wrote to Chief Secretary Delhi Government Vijay Dev stating that in the past, the selection committee did have representatives from the Centre, including the then secretary in Union ministry of urban development, the Delhi chief secretary and the incumbent MD, E Sreedharan.

The Central Government and Delhi Government have an equal shares in the DMRC and presently having 17 directors in Board of Directors including an MD from Delhi Government and a Chairman from Central Government.

The present selection committee, which is chaired by Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, was notified on March 2, 2022 and includes the Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, an additional chief secretary in the Delhi government and an independent expert from WRI.