NEW DELHI: In a major administrative restructuring within India’s railway network, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the Ministry of Railways’ proposal to appoint six senior officers to ex-cadre posts in Level 16 of the Pay Matrix.
The high-level executive order (No. 23/15/2026-EO(SM-II)), issued on June 1, 2026, from Kartavya Bhawan 3, New Delhi, targets crucial top-tier commands for the panel year 2026. According to the directive from the Secretariat of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet under the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), these appointments become effective from the date each officer assumes charge of their respective posts and will continue until further orders.
Key Postings and Structural Alignments
The comprehensive order places veteran railway officials into major zonal management and board-level responsibilities:
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Shri Prem Sagar Gupta, IRSE: Appointed as the new General Manager, Metro Railway, Kolkata.
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Shri Pankaj Sharma, IRSEE: Designated as the General Manager, North Western Railway, Jaipur.
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Shri U. Subba Rao, IRSME: Shifted via lateral transfer from his current role as General Manager, Integral Coach Factory to take up the post of General Manager, Southern Railway, Chennai.
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Ms. Gitika Pandey, IRAS: Transitioning from her position as Additional Member (Planning), Railway Board, she has been appointed via lateral transfer to serve as General Manager, Eastern Railway, Kolkata.
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Shri Manish Agarwal, IRSME: Selected to fill the vacancy as General Manager, Integral Coach Factory, Chennai.
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Shri Nilmani, IRSE: Dispatched to the central grid to take up the crucial portfolio of Additional Member (Planning), Railway Board, New Delhi.
The immediate executive notice was formally authorized and signed by Pallavi Singh, Director (ACC). The official directive has been communicated directly to the Ministry of Railways, addressed to Shri Satish Kumar, Chairman & CEO of the Railway Board at Rail Bhawan, New Delhi.
Additionally, official copies of the mandate have been forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Office (specifically to Ms. Manmeet Kaur, Director) and the Cabinet Secretariat (addressed to Ms. Kavita Singh, Joint Secretary) for rapid tracking and recording.

