K-RIDE set to get full-time Managing Director after nearly three years

The Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited (K-RIDE) is yet acceptable to person a imperishable Managing Director aft operating nether interim enactment for adjacent to 3 years.

According to sources, Lakshman Singh, a 1996-batch serviceman from the Indian Railway Service of Engineers, is expected to beryllium appointed arsenic the full-time MD anytime soon. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), nether the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, cleared the Railway Ministry’s connection for his posting connected November 25.

Speaking to The Hindu, officials acquainted with the improvement said “a ceremonial notification confirming his assignment could beryllium released soon by the Railway Ministry.” Mr Singh is apt to instrumentality implicit the reins of K-RIDE, the associated task bureau liable for delivering the much-delayed Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project (BSRP).

‘Seasoned railway technocrat’

Earlier successful June, K-RIDE had advertised the MD post, inviting applications from officers belonging to Central Group ‘A’ services for a deputation tenure of 3 years. A elder authoritative told The Hindu that constructing suburban obstruction corridors alongside existing, high-speed railway lines demands specialised method cognition and applicable engineering experience.

“Developing caller tracks successful specified complex, high-risk zones is highly challenging. A seasoned railway technocrat volition beryllium amended positioned to resoluteness plan issues, negociate information concerns, and accelerate execution,” the authoritative added.

K-RIDE is jointly owned by the Karnataka authorities and the Ministry of Railways, with the State holding a bulk 51% share. The State authorities has traditionally preferred deputing elder IAS officers from its cadre to caput the organisation. However, respective of these officers lacked in-depth familiarity with railway systems and operational engineering, starring to concerns astir task delays and decision-making bottlenecks.

Slow progress

The Managing Director’s station has remained vacant since the transportation of Amit Garg successful August 2022. During this period, elder IAS officials including Gaurav Gupta and N. Manjula served arsenic interim heads, portion successful August 2025, Govinda Reddy was appointed arsenic the in-charge MD.

The BSRP covers 149.35 km crossed 4 large corridors, Sampige (KSR Bengaluru–Devanahalli), Mallige (Benniganahalli–Chikkabanavara), Parijaata (Kengeri–Whitefield), and Kanaka (Heelalige–Rajanukunte). Among these, lone the Mallige enactment (Corridor-2) has seen measurable progress, with operation inactive beneath the 30% mark.

L&T’s exit

The determination to bring successful a full-time MD comes astatine a delicate signifier for the project. Recently, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) terminated 2 large civilian contracts pertaining to Corridor-2 and Corridor-4. K-RIDE has accused the contractor of violating cardinal presumption of the agreement, a improvement that has added caller uncertainties to a task already struggling with delays and engineering hurdles.

Mr. Singh is presently serving successful the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) arsenic Chief General Manager (Civil), a relation helium took up successful December 2023. He has antecedently worked arsenic Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Bengaluru, and arsenic Chief Engineer successful South Western Railway (SWR).