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Mahesh Kumar was general manager (Western Railways) till this Wednesday. The next day he was appointed as Member Railway Board, a post equivalent to secretary with the Union government, in charge of recruitment and staff-related issues.
On Friday evening, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested him in Mumbai on charges of bribing for getting a plum job.
Kumar belongs to the 1975 batch of Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers. One of his most remarkable feats has been gaining entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for commissioning the ‘Largest Route Relay Interlocking’ in the world at the Old Delhi Railway Station in the shortest possible time of 36 hours, the only officer from Indian Railway to have achieved this.
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Besides, he has many firsts and innovations to his credit like commissioning of major doubling projects within 3-4 hours block, modified automatic signaling for safe train operation during fog, termed innovation of the year 2010-11, commissioning of Passenger Reservation System through satellite, commissioning of first integrated Railways’ Call Centre using ‘139’ and commissioning of major yard remodeling within short blocks.
As general manager, Western Railway, Kumar has to his credit the completion of the mammoth project of conversion of electric traction from 1,500 volts DC to 25,000 volts AC in the Churchgate-Virar section of Mumbai division, the busiest section with dense suburban, as well as long distance traffic, without affecting the running of trains.
The extension of suburban section up to Dahanu Road and introduction of EMU rakes in this section has been one of the other major achievements as general manager.
It is not clear whether the alleged bribe was paid by him for the post of member or for the even higher position of chairman of the Railway Board. The current chairman Vinay Mittal is retiring in June along with the Finance Commissioner. The entire Railway Board is expected to see new faces.
