Lucknow: Ashok Kumar Verma, a 1987 batch officer of Indian Railway Stores Service, has taken over as General Manager, Northern Railway. Prior to this, he was working as General Manager, Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE), Prayagraj. He has served Indian Railways in various capacities.
Ashok Kumar Verma has vast experience in handling stores related issues as well as general administration. Shri Verma has served as Principal Chief Material Manager in North Western Railway, Divisional Railway Manager, Bengaluru Division of South Western Railway and Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Jhansi Division of North Central Railway and also as Executive Director, Railway Stores in Railway Board.
Ashok Kumar Verma holds a Civil Engineering degree from Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Prayagraj and an MBA from IIM, Kolkata. He holds a Diploma in Public Procurement (Public Procurement in Projects funded by Multilateral Agencies) from Indian Railway Institute of Logistics and Material Management and a Post Graduate Diploma in Alternate Dispute Resolution Mechanism from National Academy of Legal Studies and Research University. He has extensive experience in finance and public procurement.
After formally taking over charge of Northern Railway, Ashok Kumar Verma held a meeting with all the major department heads. All Divisional Railway Managers also joined the meeting through video conferencing. Addressing the meeting, Mr. Verma explained his priorities. He said that punctuality and safety are the most important parameters in the functioning of the Railways. Mr. Verma further said that safety at the work place and the safety of the employees are also very important. Speaking on employee welfare matters, he said that senior officers and supervisors should be available while dealing with employee related issues and such matters should be resolved within a stipulated time period.
To enhance the convenience of railway passengers and modernize the railway infrastructure, the General Manager also comprehensively reviewed the progress of Amrit stations under Amrit Bharat Yojana and redevelopment work of stations as well as Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project and Rishikesh-Karnprayag Rail Line Project. He directed the officials to monitor the progress of redevelopment work of stations and complete all the basic works. The General Manager emphasized the importance of timely execution and quality to ensure successful construction of projects within the stipulated time period. He said that safety, passenger convenience and future operational requirements should be kept in mind while planning the works. He further said that railways are a major contributor to India’s GDP and only through the development of railways can we achieve the goal of ‘Developed India’.
The General Manager appreciated the work done by the employees to ensure safety and smoothness in rail operations and said that he draws inspiration from the hard work of trackmen and gangmen who work day and night for smooth rail operations even in adverse weather conditions.
