Title - One more extension for acting Railway Board chairman

The Centre on Monday bought more time to resolve the murky politics within the Railway Board for the post of chairman by giving an extension to member mechanical Arunendra Kumar to continue as acting chairman for one more month.The appointments committee of the Cabinet failed to find a suitable candidate for the post within the three months that it had posted Mr. Kumar as acting chairman after the superannuation of Vinay Mittal on June 30.Apparently concerned by recent developments beginning the bribery scam for the top posts in the board and the spate of charges levelled against a number of others, the ACC is avoiding pitfalls that might bring disrepute to the government.Top nine contenders for the high post have been eliminated on one ground or the other as a result of which the CVC has so far cleared only two names for the top post -- Radhey Shyam and A.K.Mittal, both zonal general managers.

The Railway Ministry has not been able to take a call on these two names nor on the controversy surrounding North Frontier Railway general manager R.S.Virdi against whom a 10-year-old case had been reopened and the CVC has imposed minor penalties.

Several representations have been made including that by officers association taking exception to the manner in which the CVC had sought to impose penalties against officers complying with orders of seniors.

Mr. Virdi’s senior, former member Sampath Dhasarathy while protesting the CVC order against him had also taken upon himself the responsibility of the order and absolved his juniors in a letter to the Railway Minister.

The ACC apparently does not want to dilute the norms nor ignore the cases pending against senior members while making a final decision. The CVC has referred to the CBI a case for enquiry against Mr. Kumar making it difficult for the government to regularise his posting.

It remains to be seen if the government will dilute the twin norms required for posting as chairman. One has to have served as zonal general manager and must have two years of residual service, besides, of course, clearance from the CVC.