ELIAS GEORGE TOOK CHARGE AS MD OF KOCHI METRO RAIL LIMITED

ELIAS GEORGE TOOK CHARGE AS MD OF KOCHI METRO RAIL LIMITED

 Elias George, additional chief secretary (power and transport), took charge as themanaging director of the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) on Tuesday20th August, 2012. After assuming charge, he met the officials of KMRL and the land acquisition department. George belongs to the 1982 IAS batch and has held several key positions in both the Centre and the state. He had also served on the director boards of Central PSUs. From 1985 to 1988, he had served as Kochi corporation secretary. Tom Jose, MD of Kochi Metro project, was shifted as secretary of Public Works Dept and Eliyas George was appointed as MD of Kochi Metro. Tom Jose was shifted following various allegations against him. The cabinet which met on Tuesday approved the decision. The Cabinet also took a decision on the members of the Kochi Metro Director Board.

A decision on the board members of Kochi Metro was taken following the Centre flaying the state for not restructuring the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL). Chief secretary K Jayakumar, Finance dept secretary and the Law secretary will be made representatives of the Kerala Board. Elias George was addl chief secretary and Power Board chairman. Secretary of the Central Urban Development Ministry Dr Sudheer Krishna told the other day that it was the state govt which should take a decision on the new director board. Even the DMRC had cast allegations against the state on this. The DMRC had pointed out that the deal for the DMRC to take charge of Kochi Metro has still not been signed and that had created a row.Apart from the secretary of Urban Development, addl secretary of the urban development S K Loha, director of DMRC Jitendra Tyagi, Director of Bangalore Metro Rolling Stock section D D Ahuja, member of Railway Board A K Gupta were the centre-appointed representatives.

Prof. John Kurakar