Lalu brushes off IIM advice

New Delhi (PTI): They may be the brains running the country’s premier B-schools, but their ideas are no good for Lalu Prasad.

The railway minister on Thursday politely turned down suggestions offered by a group of academicians from Indian Institutes of Management on how to run his ministry. He told them that his organisation was already full of talented people.

The team led by IIM Ahmedabad professor G. Raghuram, who was part of an official committee that predicted the railways would incur a Rs 60,000 crore debt in the next 10 years and slip into bankruptcy, suggested that Lalu Prasad appoint an advisory board for the ministry.

Raghuram said the board should have experts from the Indian Institutes of Technology, the IIMs and other universities and they should interact regularly.

Sensing that their mission was going off track, the delegates then tried to massage Lalu Prasad’s ego. They suggested that he take on the title of “CEO” of Indian Railways following its spectacular performance during the two years he has been at his helm.

he minister, under whose tenure the railways has generated Rs 13,000 crore worth internal resources and surplus revenue of Rs 11,000 crore, brushed off the compliment, saying: “Sincere efforts accomplished with honesty will bring about progress and development of any organisation.”

The IIM team would also be attending the two-day general managers’ conference to be inaugurated by Lalu Prasad here on Friday.

Rape suicide

Muzaffarnagar (PTI): A 15-year-old rape victim committed suicide in a village of this Uttar Pradesh district on Thursday, police said.

The girl from Sisozi was allegedly raped by her neighbour some days ago. The victim set herself on fire and died of burn injuries, the police added.

Tractor deaths

Sonepat (PTI): Two persons, including a four-year-old child, were killed in an accident between a three-wheeler and a tractor on the Sonepat-Meerut road in Haryana, police said. The three-wheeler hit a tractor trolley loaded with sand. Ten persons were injured in the accident.

Body exhumed

Muzaffarnagar (PTI): The body of a woman, allegedly killed and buried by her husband, was dug out in a village of this district on the instructions of the district administration, after the woman’s family lodged a complaint.

International media watchdog Reporters Without Borders has ranked India higher than its neighbours and the US in its press freedom index. India ranked 106, the US 137 and Pakistan 150.