A total of 10 candidates were interviewed from RVNL, IRCON International, BSNL, CIL, North Western Railway, and Railways (M/O).

Ahmad emerged as the top choice following a rigorous interview process that included several senior executives from across the public sector. His name has now been forwarded to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for final approval, subject to mandatory vigilance and procedural clearances.

Ten candidates appeared before the selection board, including:

Ajit Kumar Panda, Director (Project & Services), CONCOR

Mritunjay Pratap Singh, Director (Operations), RVNL

Anurag, Principal Executive Director, RVNL

Amit Tondan, Principal Executive Director (Metro), RVNL

Sumit Sardana, Principal Executive Director (Infra), RVNL

Vikas Chandra, Executive Director (North East), RVNL

Surender Singh, Executive Director (Projects), IRCON International Ltd.

Vippagunta Rama Manorhara Rao, Director (Finance), RailTel Corporation of India Ltd.

Saleem Ahmad, Director (Projects), NBCC (India) Ltd.

Dr. Pudi Hariprasad, Chief Administration Officer (Treasury & Reconciliation), Ministry of Railways

The breakthrough was achieved using a state-of-the-art Single-Shield Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) named Shakti, of 9.11m diameter, which is also the largest TBM to be deployed in the Himalayan region. Excavating at an average rate of 413 meters per month, 10.4 km of the tunnel was completed with TBM. The New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) was used to complete the remaining 4.11 km of the tunnel.

Celebrating the milestone, Union Railway Minister Mr Ashwini Vaishnaw, in the presence of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Mr Pushkar Singh Dhami, described the achievement as “a testament to India’s engineering strength and the commitment to enhancing railway infrastructure in even the most difficult terrains.”

Chief Minister Mr Dhami highlighted the tunnel’s potential to revolutionise Uttarakhand’s socio-economic landscape by enhancing connectivity to remote areas, boosting tourism and economic growth.

“This significant breakthrough in one of the most challenging terrains, reflects our commitment and strong collaboration between our client RVNL,” said Mr S V Desai, Whole- Time Director & Senior Executive Vice President (Civil Infrastructure), L&T. “This milestone fosters a deep sense of collective achievement within our team, proving that with dedication and innovation, no challenge is insurmountable.”

L&T’s role in RVNL’s 125-km Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Railway Line project which connects Rishikesh, Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Gauchar, and Karnaprayag across five Himalayan districts, cutting travel time from seven hours to two and supporting the Char Dham Yatra, covers Packages 2 and 4.

In Package 4, L&T is building India’s longest railway tunnel (14.5-km upline, 13.1-km downline). Package 2 includes 26.6 km of tunnel excavation, 28 km of tunnel lining, two railway bridges, one road bridge, and embankments.

Background:

Larsen & Toubro is a USD 27 billion Indian multinational enterprise engaged in EPC Projects, Hi-Tech Manufacturing, and Services, operating across multiple geographies. A strong, customer–focused

approach and the constant quest for top-class quality have enabled L&T to attain and sustain leadership in its major lines of business for eight decades.

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) has been recognised for its outstanding project execution capabilities with the ‘Excellence in Project Management’ award at the 6th Rail Analysis Innovation & Excellence Summit 2025, held in New Delhi.

Shri Ajoy Choudhury, Director (Finance), REC and Shri Rajesh Prasad, Director (Operations), RVNL signed the MoU in the presence of Shri V.K Dewangan, CMD, REC; Shri Sanjeeb Kumar, Director (Finance), RVNL; Smt Anupam Ban, DPE, RVNL and other senior officials from REC and RVNL.

More recently REC has also diversified into the Non-Power Infrastructure sector comprising of Roads & Expressways, Metro Rail, Airports, IT Communication, Social & Commercial Infrastructure (Educational Institution, Hospitals), Ports and Electro-Mechanical (E&M) works in respect of various other sectors like Steel, Refinery, etc.  The loan book of REC exceeds Rs 4,74,275 Crore.

All the central agencies are working on war footing at the incident site and each of them has assigned specific tasks to ensure safe evacuation of the workers. The government is continuously maintaining contact with the stranded people to boost their morale.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has also set up a temporary camp office in Matali, Uttarkashi, from where he is monitoring the rescue operations and also doing his administrative work since last night.

He also spoked to the workers trapped inside through the audio communication setup installed in the tunnel.

On the other hand, in the safe part of the tunnel, electricity and water supplies are operational, and provisions including food and medicines are being distributed to the stranded workers through a dedicated 4 to 6-inch compressor pipeline. It may be recalled that a part of the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot collapsed due to a landslide on the 12th of this month, following which 41 laborers are trapped inside.