Shri Ashwani Lohani appointed as New Chairman, Ministry of Railways

Shri Ashwani Lohani appointed as New Chairman, Ministry of Railways

Shri Lohani assumes the Charge of his new assignment today i.e. 24 August 2017

Shri Ashwani Lohani, IRSME has been appointed as Chairman, Railway Board (Ministry of Railways) and ex-officio Principal Secretary to Government of India vice Shri A.K.Mital. He assumed charge of his new assignment today i.e 24th August, 2017. Prior to this assignment, Shri Ashwani Lohani was serving as Chairman and Managing Director, Air India.

After assuming charge, Shri Lohani held a high level meeting with the Railway Board Members. Later, he also addressed the officers & the staff of Railway Board.

Shri Lohani has worked in various capacities in Ministry of Railways, Union Ministry of Tourism and in Government of Madhya Pradesh. Within the railways he has worked on the South Central, Eastern and Northern Railways besides the Diesel Locomotive Works at Varanasi and the Integral Coach Factory, at Chennai.

He has worked as the Chief Administrative Officer of the Indian Railway Organization for Alternate Fuels (IROAF), Chief Mechanical Engineer, Northern Railway, Divisional Railway Manager of Delhi Division, Director, National Rail Museum, New Delhi, Director in the Ministry of Tourism Government of India, CMD of India Tourism Development Corporation, MD of Madhya Pradesh Tourism and in many other important assignments in Railways.

Academic Excellence :

i) Qualified Chartered Mechanical Engineer from I.Mech.E (UK)

ii) Degree equivalence in Electrical Engineering from Institution of Engineers, India

iii)Degree equivalence in Metallurgical Engineering from Institution of Engineers, India

iv) Degree equivalence in Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering from Institution of Engineers, India

v) Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, India

vi) Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport.

vii) Gold Medalist in Metallurgical engineering

viii) Limca National Record received in 2007 for the four engineering degrees

Awards/Accolades Received:

a) Ashwani Garden” created at Patratu, Bihar in 1989.

b) National Award for Outstanding Performance, Ministry of Railways in April 1996

c) Featured as “Man of the Week” in the Week magazine 21st July 2002 issue.

d) PATWA International Young Achievers Award at Berlin in March 2007

e) Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Award “Icon of Change” in May 2010

f) Life Time Achievement Award in Tourism in September 2010.

g) Art Moda Kala Samman in May 2011

h) ”Eminent Engineer” award by Institution of Engineers India in September 2013.

i) “Excellence in Governance” award in November 2013

j) Felicitated by ASSOCHAM in March 2014 for Excellence in Tourism

k) Lifetime Award – India Pride awards.

THREE MAJOR PUBLIC SECTOR TURNAROUNDS TO HIS CREDIT.

a) Turnaround of the India Tourism Development Corporation in the year 2002-3 as its Chairman & Managing Director.

b) Turnaround of Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation as its Managing Director (2004-5 & 2006-9) and achieving corporate excellence.

c) Operative turnaround of Air India in 2015-16 followed by 2016-17.

ACHIEVEMENTS DURING HIS TENURE AS DRM DELHI DIVISION-

Delhi Division of Northern Railway received accolades during his tenure as the Divisional Railway Manager. In a modest time frame he achieved substantial quantitative and qualitative improvements at railway stations and work areas with the division receiving national awards and appreciation from the CAG.

a) New Delhi Railway Station was awarded the National Tourism Award in March 2011 and again in February 2012 in the category of the most tourist friendly station.

b) The CAG in its audit report on the CWG games (page 45) has heartily appreciated the improvement works done at the New Delhi station making Delhi Division the only Government Department to have earned appreciation for the infrastructure works related to the games.

c) He has brought Rewari on the world tourism map by upgrading the Rewari steam locomotive shed to an internationally acclaimed steam tourism destination. Rewari shed of the Delhi division received the National Tourism Award in February 2012 in the category of the most innovative tourism project of India.

ASSOCIATION WITH HERITAGE & PRESERVATION MATTERS

a) Revival of the National Rail Museum, New Delhi. Brought rail heritage in focus.

b) Setting a Guinness World Record in 1998 by running the Fairy Queen Express hauled by the oldest working steam locomotive in the world.

c) While working as the Director of National Rail Museum, successfully piloted the nomination of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway that was declared as a world heritage site in 1999. Also actively involved with declaration of Victoria Terminus as a World Heritage site.

d) While working as the Director(Tourism) GOI & CMD/ITDC, successfully piloted the nomination of the Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhgaya that was declared as a world heritage site in 2002

e) Spearheading preservation of live steam locomotives and generating public affection for the same as the Founder and Working President of the Indian Steam Railway Society.

f) Life Member, Museums Association of India

g) Resurrection and positioning of Rewari Heritage Steam Shed as the finest steam heritage destination in the world.

h) Had been actively associated with ASI in developing heritage sites in state of MP.

He has set many firsts in the country in the field of application of Information Technology for tourist facilitation and museum management.

Since setting a Guinness World Record in 1998 for running the oldest working steam locomotive in the world, he has been spearheading the steam preservation and revival movement in the country. He is a life member of the Institute of Rolling Stock Engineers and the Museums Association of India and the Founder cum Working President of the Indian Steam Railway Society. He has written over seventy articles and columns on a variety of subjects in magazines and newspapers of national repute. He has also authored four publications namely, a coffee table book titled “Smoking Beauties”(March 2004), a book on management titled “Winning at Work against all odds” (Jan 2006), a comprehensive report on “Rail Heritage & Tourism” (Jan 2006) and a comprehensive report on “Steam Heritage Tourism (July 2002).

Source : PIB