RailEnquiry

There is one building that I want to demolish and rebuild, that is, if I am given a chance, says Sreedharan. Not many people in Ponnani, a small, sleepy coastal town 100 km north of Kochi, know that the person identified all over the country as the "Metro Man" is now a local resident. The old, but dignified looking Perumbayil House, set against the lush greenery of a 3.5-acre plot, has a rich collection of awards and citations, including the Padma awards, that its new inmate, E Sreedharan, has won at various stages of his illustrious career spanning five decades. "This is my wife's house. We have moved in here to look after my ailing mother-in-law," he says from the camp office that the Delhi Metro Railway Corporation (DMRC) has set up in one section of the building. He speaks about his post-retirement life, the new priorities and a few regrets that he has carried to Ponnani. Excerpts from an interview with ET:

When did you start thinking about retirement? How did you go about implementing your decision?

I started thinking about my retirement after the Commonwealth Games. Phase II of the Delhi Metro project was completed. My term was ending by December 2011. There was sufficient time to plan and select my successor in a transparent way. I did not want to leave my shadow on the DMRC. So I informed the authorities about my decision. A panel was set up to select a successor. While the selection process was going on, members of the committee and Delhi chief minister, Sheila Dikshit, asked me to continue. I explained to the CM my point of view and finally she accepted the reason and logic of my argument. On December 31, 2011, I retired. I left Delhi on January 18, 2012.

What kind of a retired life were you looking forward to? You seem to have taken up a lot of work in Kerala. Is this the way you wanted your post-retirement life to be?

I was looking forward to a quiet life of spiritual pursuits. I wanted to move into my father's house at Pattambi in Palakkad in north Kerala. But now I am involved in a lot of projects. I have accepted the invitation of former Cabinet secretary KM Chandrasekhar to be a member of the Kerala Planning Board. Again, the Kochi Metro Railway is a project with which I have an emotional attachment. I did all the initial work for the project, including the project report. So when Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy asked me in what way I could associate with the project I told him that I could assist the DMRC in implementing the project.

The preparatory work started from mid 2011. We are now ready to start the project. We are waiting for the work to be awarded to us. The DMRC has been entrusted with the task of preparing a detailed report for the Monorail project in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. We have also been entrusted with the work of preparing the feasibility report of the high speed rail corridor connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod [the entire length of the state]. So, I have taken up a lot of work.

Has the schedule of your day changed after retirement?

Earlier the day used to start at 4.30 am. Now I get up half an hour early. Still, I am not getting enough time for my spiritual pursuits.

What is the secret of successful project management?

It is all about leadership and quick decision-making. The man heading the project should be given the freedom to take decisions.

Will you be able to meet the deadlines in Kerala as the work culture and political environment are different here?

It is different. But what I have understood from the past few months is that the people are amenable to reason. If you explain the logic of your stand, they will understand.

Will you write an autobiography?

I am a pucca technical man. I do not think I can write a book. Moreover, by writing an autobiography I will be trumpeting my own achievements. I do not believe in it. Many people have approached me with such a proposal. They just wanted 8 or 10 sittings with me to get the information and then they will write the book. But I am not keen to make money or earn a name by writing a book. Others can do it independently but I will not endorse it.