Mhow (Madhya Pradesh): The Ministry of Railways, Government of India, has appointed retired railway board member RN Sunkar as the chairman of a high-level one-man expert committee tasked with a sweeping review of construction and maintenance practices across several major government bodies.
The committee will examine current processes at Indian Railways, CPWD, NBCC, and other agencies to chart a new course toward more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable infrastructure development. Sunkar, who had a long and distinguished career with the Railways, will be assisted by four senior officers as he undertakes this critical national infrastructure initiative.
A key mandate will be incorporating modern building materials and methods to reduce long-term maintenance costs. The committee will also prioritise green building principles aimed at minimising environmental impact across the construction lifecycle. The choice of Sunkar is seen as fitting given his innovative track record at Indian Railways.
As divisional railway manager of the Ratlam division, he spearheaded the launch of the heritage train service running along the historic Indore-Khandwa rail line between Mhow and Kalakund stations. With substantial new infrastructure investment on the horizon, Sunkar's committee's recommendations could shape the future of government construction across the country for decades to come. The committee is expected to submit its report within six months. He served as chief administrative officer, Bilaspur; GM, East Coast Railway, Bhubaneswar; member, infrastructure, railway board and ex-officio secretary to the government of India.
