Appointments of GMs, DRMs in Railways by next week

After several months of delay, appointments of general managers and divisional railway managers posts in Railways will be made by next week.

The order for posting of GMs and DRMs will be issued in two-three days, Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge here today.

At least five general manager posts are lying vacant including GMs of the Central, Western, South East Central and South Eastern Railways and for the coach factory in Chennai.

Besides, the posts of Chairman, Member Traffic, Member Staff and Financial Commissioner are to be filled up as these are crucial for Railways.

"There are issues in filling up vacancies and we are trying to resolve it, Kharge said.

"We want to do it for good governance. The filling up top posts are necessary for good administration."

Member Mechanical Arunendra Kumar is holding additional charge of Chairman Railway Board.

Appointments of all these posts will be done after getting CVC clearance, he said.

Asked about the fate of Rail Tariff Authority (RTA), Kharge said, "There is a proposal for RTA and we have sent it to the PMO. Consultations are going on with other Ministries like Finance, Law and Planning Commission. Finally after the cabinet approval it will be constituted."

However, he was non-committal about the nature of the RTA when asked whether it will be an advisory body or regulatory authority.

"It will be known only after the approval of Cabinet," Kharge, the Congress veteran from Karnataka, said.

RTA, proposed in the Rail Budget 2012-13, is expected to look into the operational expenditure including the diesel and power cost for the train operation and suggest hike in the passenger fares to absorb the escalated cost.

Currently, Railways is facing a loss about Rs 22,000 crore in passenger fare segment.

Asked about the possibility of further fare hike in the wake of rising fuel cost he said, "There is no such proposal."

Railways is expected to take a stock of the situation in the next Fuel Adjustment Component (FAC) meeting in October.