• 16 Sep 2014
• Hindustan Times (Lucknow)
• M Tariq Khan ■ tariq.khan@hindustantimes.com

MD’s ‘indictment’ in Delhi fiasco puts LM RC in a fix

LUCKNOW: The ghost of Delhi Airport Metro Line debacle, which took place two years ago, has one again come to haunt Lucknow Metro Rail project.

The inquiry committee constituted to probe the faulty Delhi Airport Metro Line had identified the then DMRC director (projects) Kumar Keshav for system failure and also indicted five other officials for the lapse.

The Union ministry of urban development has now forwarded this probe report to UP government for taking necessary action on it at its end. Post-Delhi Airport Metro fiasco, Keshav had quit DMRC and left for Australia to work in the private sector. The state government recently appointed him the managing director of the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC).

When contacted by Hindustan Times, Keshav denied having anything to do with the controversy.

“I have nothing to do with the Airport Metro line. I never worked on it in any capacity. Implementation of Airport Metro Line was under director, works, which was not me,” he said.

Indeed, Mangu Singh was director (works) when the incident occurred while Keshav was identified for system failure by the probe panel. Singh is presently a managing director/CMD in DMRC.

A senior housing department official, requesting anonymity, confirmed having received the probe report.

“Yes, we have received the report from the MoUD,” he said but refused to comment on what action, if any, the state government intended to take on the MoUD report.

Sources said the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) had also asked the DMRC to act against the officials indicted by the probe panel last year. But since the countdown to parliamentary polls had started, the issue was relegated to the back burner.