KOCHI: “Kochi and Kochiites, and Malayalis, will always remain in my heart,” Loknath Behera said on Sunday as he looked back on his five-year spell as managing director of Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL), bringing to a close a journey that began long before he took charge of the city’s elevated transport system.
His association with Kochi dates back to his days as Thrikkakara assistant commissioner of police. He later served as city commissioner for four years. “Kochi is a part of my life,” Behera said in his farewell speech, released by KMRL, crediting the people of the city, elected representatives, state and central governments, district administration, corporation and municipalities, various departments, KMRL officials and the media for helping take Kochi Metro and Water Metro forward.
Hailing from Odisha, Behera has made Kochi home. He is settled in Edachira, Kakkanad, with his family, choosing to remain in a city that he adores, sources close to him said.
When Behera took over as KMRL MD, the metro had around 15,000 daily passengers. That figure has since risen to average 1.25 lakh. He described making the metro more people-centric through the ‘My Metro’ approach as another major achievement.
WhatsApp ticketing and ONDC integration made ticketing easier while concessions were introduced for students and regular commuters. Kochi Metro also received the Centre’s award for the best sustainable urban transport system in the country.
But Behera’s tenure extended beyond the metro. Kochi also successfully implemented India’s first Water Metro which has since attracted attention nationally and internationally. Feasibility studies have also been conducted for similar systems in 18 other locations across the country.
“I wish to see water metros in Alappuzha and Kollam in the future,” Behera said. KMRL posted an operating profit of Rs 53 crore in the last financial year, with the company remaining in the green under the metric for four consecutive years.
Behera’s stint saw the introduction of 15 feeder electric buses and the construction of 52km of modern footpaths. Detailed project reports for Thiruvananthapuram Metro and Kochi Metro’s proposed third phase were also submitted.
Phase II, from JLN Stadium to Infopark, is expected to be completed within a year. Speaking to TNIE, Behera said that while KMRL has approval to procure three additional trains for the 10.58km-long corridor, the company has sought board clearance to procure all eight trains eventually required. The existing fleet of 25 trains can also be used for Phase II initially, he said.
He was at sharp end of rows...and stuck by state
For Loknath Behera, Keralam was never just the cadre to which he was allotted. A native of Odisha’s Brahmapur, the 1985-batch IPS officer came to the state as a young policeman and spent most of his career here. More than four decades later, as he steps down as managing director of KMRL, Keralam will also become the place where he chose to settle down.
He began his career as ACP Thrikkakara and went on to serve as DCP Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi commissioner.
Behera spent nearly 16 years in the CBI and was involved in investigations including the Graham Staines murder, the Purulia arms drop and the Mumbai serial blasts.
As one of the founding members of NIA, he headed its terror financing and fake currency cell. He was also part of the team that travelled to the United States to question 26/11 accused David Headley. His service earned him the President’s police medal.
Back in Keralam, his assignment as Kochi commissioner was followed by postings as director general of prisons and Fire and Rescue Services. His first stint as state police chief in 2016 came amid a politically charged change of guard.
The LDF government replaced T P Senkumar and appointed Behera as DGP. Senkumar was later reinstated following Supreme Court intervention. Behera returned as police chief in 2017 and continued in the post until his retirement in June 2021.
His tenure as DGP was marked by both reform and controversy. Behera pushed for modernisation of the force and issued guidelines restricting the use of UAPA and sedition laws, acknowledging certain lapses. The most enduring row, however, came after his retirement. Pictures of Behera at the residence of Monson Mavunkal became public after the self-styled antique dealer was arrested for fraud.
Records showed that Behera had ordered an intelligence inquiry into Mavunkal in 2019 but subsequently directed that security be provided to his residences. Behera maintained that he himself had ordered the intelligence probe. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also defended him in the assembly.
Then came the post-retirement chapter. Within two months of retiring as the state’s longest-serving police chief, Behera was appointed KMRL’s MD. “His police background helped him get things done. He took a tough stance on getting things across and that helped speed things up at KMRL and KWML. His equations with the Centre also benefited the company,” said architect and Better Kochi Response Group president S Gopakumar.
Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) founder-chairman D Dhanuraj credits Behera with increasing KMRL’s non-fare revenue through commercial spaces at stations. But he also points to a limitation: “There was considerably less dialogue on public participation.”
The recent proposal to rename KMRL as Keralam Metro Rail Ltd triggered criticism, as it was reportedly made without consulting the state government. It put his continuation in the post in question.
Yet, perhaps the most telling part of Behera’s Kerala story is what happened away from offices and designations. An officer who arrived from Odisha, and ultimately chose to remain here.