In a first, Railway board chairman gets two-year extension

MAHESH LANGA 

The central government has reappointed A.K. Mital as chairman of Railway Board for two years with effect from August 1, 2016. He is superannuating this month end. This is for the first time the incumbent has gotten a two-year extension to continue as the highest official of the railway. 

Mr. Mital was appointed as chairman of the board in January 2015. His two year reappointment is on contractual basis. 

The appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC) cleared his name for the reappointment on Friday. The chairman railway board is the administrative head of the Indian railways and also acts as ex-officio principal secretary (railways) to the government of India. 

He is 1976 batch Indian Railway Service of Stores (IRSS) cadre official and was member (staff) of the railway board before he was elevated as chairman in January 2015.