New DRM for Palakkad division takes charge | Mangaluru News

Mangaluru: Madhukar Roat took over as divisional railway manager of Palakkad division in Southern Railway on Thursday from Arun Kumar Chaturvedi. Before joining as DRM, he was serving as the chief freight traffic manager (CFTM) in North Western Railway, Jaipur.Roat is an officer of the IRTS Cadre (Indian Railway Traffic Service) of the 1997 batch. He has diverse experience serving in several pivotal roles across Indian Railways, including postings in the Northeast Frontier Railway, Western Railway, and as chief general manager on deputation with Concor, Ahmedabad.While serving in Ahmedabad division, Roat played a major role in initiating and opening private freight terminals (PFTs), significantly enhancing the division’s freight handling capacity. He was also instrumental in the implementation and execution of the Indian Railways pioneering policy on Non-Government Railway (NGR) operations at Kandla Port, stated a release.Swachhata Abhiyan launchedMeanwhile, as part of the Independence Day celebrations, Southern Railway’s Palakkad division launched the Swachhata Abhiyan campaign in two phases, from Aug 1 to Aug 15 and from Aug 16 to Oct 31. The campaign aims to promote cleanliness and environmental awareness across all stations within the division.The campaign was formally inaugurated by DRM Madhukar Roat by administering the Swachhata Pledge to the divisional office staff and students of Railway Higher Secondary School, Palakkad, emphasising the importance of individual responsibility in maintaining cleanliness. Following the pledge, he flagged off a walkathon to raise public awareness of cleanliness. Additional divisional railway managers S Jayakrishnan and K Anil Kumar, along with other branch officers and staff, were present during the event.The walkathon, conducted from the divisional office to Palakkad Junction railway station, witnessed enthusiastic participation. As part of the ongoing activities, a Nukkad Natak (street play) will be performed by the Railway Drama Theatre team at Palakkad Junction railway station on Sunday.To engage passengers and the public, a swachhata-themed selfie point has been installed at Palakkad Junction and at all major stations across the division, serving as a creative and interactive element of the campaign.