Lalu to 'teach' IAS probationers

New Delhi, Aug 12 (UNI) Basking in the spectacular balance-sheet of the Railways that has fired the imagination of business experts the world over, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad is all set to divulge his success mantra to the IAS probationers at their academy in Mussorie.

''Mr Lalu Prasad has been invited to deliver lectures at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration, Musoorie on the Railways' turnaround story,'' Mr Sudhir Kumar, OSD to the Railway Minister, told reporters.

The minister has also been invited to deliver lectures at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Ahmedabad and Bangalore.

''The date for Mr Prasad's lecture at the IAS Academy is yet to be decided. He will give dates as per his convenience,'' he said.

In his reply to the debate on supplementary demands for Railways in the Lok Sabha yesterday, Mr Prasad had made a passing reference to it.

The minister has also been invited to talk about the Railways' success story at the International Railway Strategic Management Institute, Vadodara, where an international conference will be organised on November 8.

Prior to it, he will be rubbing shoulders with the top CEOs from India and abroad in the national capital on November 3 on the topic ''Change and Transformation'', where he is to talk on ''Economics of Indian Railways''.

Management expert Thomas Friedman, Naina Lal Kidwai (HSBC), Shiv Nadar of the Hindustan Computers Ltd (HCL), Y C Deveshwar (ITC), Kiran Mazumdar shaw of Biocon and several others are slated to attend the meet.

Apparently, the Railways' bulging coffers has impressed the IIM-A so much that it has already included it as a ''case material'' for its bright scholars.

Academicians from the Harvard University, business experts from France and some top financial institutions like HSBC, Goldman Sachs and Merrul Lynch have already vistited 'Rail Bhavan' to have an insight into the success of the Indian Railways.

Mr Prasad is credited with transforming the transport behemoth, which was written off by the Rakesh Mohan Committee barely three years ago, into a cash-rich, passenger-friendly entity.

The Railways, which has already achieved a balance fund of Rs 13,000 crore, has trageted to swell it to Rs 20,000 crore in the current fiscal.

As the Railway Minister, who is basking in his larger-than-life persona, moves out of Rail Bhavan as a don, it wil be the turn of IAS probationers and prospective business honchos at the IIM, Ahmendabad and Bangalore to scratch their brains and perhaps marvel at the ''CEO of the Railways''.

UNI SKS AK RAI1823