March 31, 2002

        Shri I.I.M.S. Rana has taken over as new Chairman, Railway Board and ex-officio Principal Secretary to the Government of India, here today. The superannuating Chairman, Shri R.N. Malhotra handed over the charge of office to Shri Rana in the presence of other Board Members and senior officials of the Ministry.

        The new Chairman of the Railway Board, Shri Rana has urged the railway employees to inculcate the spirit of customer care and efficiency. In a message to the railwaymen, the new Chairman asked them to keep up the rich tradition of Indian Railways which is known for its people friendly style of functioning and as facilitator of the country’s all round development.

        Shri Rana called upon the railway fraternity to see things from customer angle and this can go a long way in improving the functioning of Railways. The changed environment calls for bringing about proportionate changes. Efficiency goes up with stepped up delegation of powers, he added. Speaking on the vital aspect of safety, Shri Rana opined that it is imperative to follow the rules and procedures laid down to ensure the safety of 13 million passengers that Railways serve daily.

        Paying rich tribute to the efficiency and dedication of the work force, the new Chairman stated that the human resource is the most important and highly valued asset of Indian Railways. He asked the senior officers to be more liberal in delegating powers to the juniors and also providing the right infrastructure for training and overall management. This will definitely result in greater efficiency and better image of Railways, he added.

        Shri Rana, an officer of Indian Railway Service of Engineers of 1964 batch, has held many a prestigious posts in Indian Railways like Member Engineering, Railway Board and General Manager, Eastern Railway before taking over as Chairman.