The Hindu Business Line : Lalu on track

Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad, can be justifiably proud. He has got a `certificate' from none other than IIM (Ahmedabad), which says that one of the factors behind the turnaround by the Railways was the common-sense approach of the Minister who showed an astute understanding of the market reality. A presentation by one of the professors described how Lalu translated his rustic principle of "milking the cow fully'' into leveraging the assets of the Railways; how he follows the practice of non-interference while dealing with the Railway Board and, instead, communicates directly with the General Managers; and that he has a caring attitude towards staff and unions. The Minister is also credited with the ability to identify the right people and, as proof, his choice of the Officer on Special Duty is specifically mentioned.

Incidentally¸ the presentation on the Indian Railways `Turnaround' is a joint study by IIM (Ahmedabad) and Railway Staff College, Vadodara, and is sponsored by the Ministry of Railways! The media is now waiting for other ministers to take the cue from Lalu.

Our Bureau