KOCHI: Ernakulam district collector G Priyanka will temporarily hold charge of managing director of Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) from Monday, after the tenure of incumbent MD Loknath Behera ends on Sunday.
The decision was announced just a day before Behera’s tenure is due to expire. Behera was serving his second term as KMRL MD. Priyanka will hold the additional responsibility alongside her duties as Ernakulam district collector. However, the government has not indicated how long Priyanka will continue in the post or when a permanent appointment will be made.
Behera, a 1985-batch IPS officer, was appointed KMRL MD on a re-employment basis for three years in August 2021. His tenure was subsequently extended by the previous LDF government for two years.
The development comes amid a recent political controversy over the proposed renaming of Kochi Metro as ‘Keralam Metro’. Chief Minister V D Satheesan had publicly criticised Behera over the issue. Congress leaders had also questioned KMRL’s decision to issue a release on the proposed name change without consulting the government.
The controversy had fuelled speculation over whether Behera would get another extension. Sources close to Behera had said that a decision on the continuation of an MD is usually made beforehand and that the delay was unusual.
It is learnt that the UDF government is considering new faces for the position. Among those being considered for the post are retired IAS officers Biju Prabhakar and Jiji Thomson, sources told TNIE.