Guwahati: Veteran railway official Ranjit Singh Virdi has taken over as General Manager of the Northeast Frontier (NF) Railway.
Virdi, who took charge on June 15, succeeds Keshav Chandra, who has been elevated as Member (Mechanical), Railway Board, an official statement said.
Virdi, an officer of Indian Railways Mechanical Engineering branch, joined service in 1977.
He has since served in various postings including at Diesel Loco Shed, Ratlam, and as Group General Manager in Corporate office of Container Corporation of India (CONCOR).
In 2002 he was posted as Executive Director (Mechanical Engineering), Railway Board and was the main man behind the introduction of German design LHB passenger coaches in service on Indian Railways.
Later on he was posted as Divisional Railway Manager, Mumbai Central of Western Railway in 2004.
Before his current elevation, he was serving as Chief Mechanical Engineer in NF Railway since July 2010. Vijayan and his supporters, known in local political
parlance as "official leadership", wanted the party centre to take a serious note of Achuthanandan`s agressive posturing which they see as naked violation of the organisational norms and discipline.
The Central Committee, however, has refused to rush to any conclusion but wanted the whole gamut of issues to be discussed in the state in the presence of the Polit Bureau observers.
Another issue to come up in the meet would be the glaring defeat of the party in the Neyyattinkara Assembly by-poll. Leaders loyal to Vijayan are of the view that critical comments made by Achuthanandan on the state party affairs has contributed to the LDF`s by-poll defeat.
Seeking to turn the table on his rivals, Achuthanandan has blamed that the controversial speech of Idukki leader M M Mani that the party had elimitated political foes in the past as a key factor for the LDF`s defeat.
Though Mani has been removed as the CPI(M)`s Idukki district secretary, the state committee is expected to consider further action against him as large sections think that his speech has dealt a serious blow to the party`s image as a responsible party functioning in a civilised and democratic system.=
According to observers, though the discussions at the meeting are certain to generate much heat any harsh action against the key players on the opposite sides are unlikely as the central leadership is keen to avoid precipitating the present crisis.
PTI
