K-RIDE to get full-time technocrat MD to steer Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project
The Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Company (K-RIDE), which is implementing the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project, invited applications for the post of managing director on deputation on Monday. With this, K-RIDE, a joint venture of the state and Central governments, is set to appoint a full-time technocrat to the agency, which has, until now, had managing directors from the IAS cadre holding multiple charges in the government.
According to the vacancy notice issued by K-RIDE, the candidate must be 55 years old or younger as of March 31, 2025. The job description states that the candidate should have a minimum of 25 years of Group A service, of which at least five years must be in a senior administrative grade. The candidate should also have at least fiveyears of experience in planning, design, and execution of railway-related infrastructure projects.
The candidate is also expected to have experience in project report preparation, sanction, resource mobilisation and coordination with other ministers/stakeholders. The tenure is for three years with possible extension as per rules. Candidates are given one month to submit their applications.
K-RIDE has not had a full-time managing director since Amit Garg's transfer in August 2022. Since then, only in-charge MDs have been appointed, including Gaurav Gupta (August 2022) and Dr N Manjula (November 2023). Manjula, who is now the incumbent MD, also holds an additional charge of secretary to the Infrastructure Development, Ports and Inland Water Transport Departments.
In June 2024, Minister of State for Railways V Somanna announced that a technically qualified full-time MDwould be appointed within 15 days; however, no action was taken. Last week, the Karnataka government appointed Dr Vasanthi Amar as special deputy commissioner for K-RIDE.
BJP parliamentarians, including Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya and Bangalore Central MP P C Mohan, trained their guns on the Congress government for 'failing' to comply with the advertising requirements of the Railway Board to appoint a full-time MD and for allegedly hampering the progress of this key infrastructure project aimed at decongesting Bengaluru.
According to government officials, the need for a technocrat as a full-time managing director arises due to the project's construction in close proximity to active railway lines. 'Constructing suburban railway lines alongside active railway lines with trains running at high speed is a complex task. Therefore, K-RIDE needs to be headed by an individual who can take on such technically challenging roles to fast-track the project,' said a government official.
The applications will be received by the internal HR division of K-RIDE, which will screen the candidates and shortlist them in line with the job specifications. Shortlisted candidates will be called for an interview by a board comprising representatives from the state and Central governments before the final candidate is selected.
The BSRP spans 149.348 km across four corridors: Sampige (KSR Bengaluru to Devanahalli, 41.4 km), Mallige (Benniganahalli to Chikkabanavara, 25.01 km), Parijaata (Kengeri to Whitefield, 35.52 km), and Kanaka (Heelalige to Rajanukunte, 46.24 km).
Of all corridors, only Corridor 2 has seen some progress, albeit at a slow pace, with less than 30 per cent of the work completed. Civil work tender was awarded to Larsen & Toubro on August 26, 2022, for Rs 859.97 crore. However, L&T has reportedly hinted at withdrawing from the project due to land acquisition hurdles. L&T has cited the non-availability of land as a primary reason for halting work.
Approximately 28.56 acres of private land and 91 acres of railway land are required for Corridor 2, but delays in land handover by South Western Railway and K-RIDE have stalled progress. Private landowners have obtained court stay orders, and some are demanding higher compensation, further complicating the acquisition process.
The 7.4-km section between Chikkabanavara and Yeshwantpur as part of Corridor 2 was targeted for completion by end of 2025, with the full corridor expected to be operational by December 2026. However, given the current pace of work, K-RIDE is uncertain about meeting its deadlines.
As for the rolling stock, the initial public-private partnership (PPP) model for procuring 306 rail coaches failed due to a lack of bids. A new equity model with 50:50 funding (Rs 2,135 crore from Karnataka, awaiting Railway Ministry approval) has been approved by the Karnataka Cabinet in November 2024. Tenders are ready but await the Central government order and Railway Board approval.
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