Young blood will drive namma Metro

Young blood will drive namma Metro
83 young appointees head to New Delhi to train for the posts of station controllers-cum-train operators
S Kushala bmfeedback@indiatimes.com


She could be the train pilot who will drive you around the city when Bangalore Metro starts chugging in a few months. Twenty-year-old H B Soujanya, a diploma holder in Electronics and Communications, wants to be the first Metro rail pilot. She is one among the 83 youngthings recently appointed by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) for the posts of station controllers cum train operators.
On Monday night, the new appointees boarded the train to Delhi for a four-month training. Platform number 6, Yeshwanthpur railway station was abuzz with this euphoric bunch, most of whom were travelling out of Karnataka for the first time. They are fresh out of college and most of them come from rural backgrounds. Among them are six girls who are keen to become train pilots.
BMRCL has started appointing some 352 people various posts — train pilots, controllers, customer relation managers, fitters and engineers. The bunch that left for Delhi on Monday is the first batch heading for training. The appointment process started in April with an advertisement inviting applications, followed by a written test and interviews.
The qualification required was diploma, graduation in BSc (PCM) and engineering, age below 25 for general and 28 for OBC, SC/ST candidates. One of the eligibility criteria was knowledge of Kannada.
Meet S B Yeshwanth Kumar, 25-year old BSc graduate from Saligrama, in Mysore district. He finished his graduation from Kuvempu University, Shimoga, and applied for the job. He says, "I never expected that the selection process would be so fool-proof. The best part is that preference was given to Kannada due to which the rural candidates benefited. We have a year of probation and the starting salary is very good. Delhi will give us new exposure. I am looking forward to this exciting career."
The BMRCL has come up with a competitive salary structure — with the basic being Rs 14,000 and a consolidated package of Rs 23,000. Candidates will be trained by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. They will also be working on board the Delhi metro trains.
Soujanya from Nelamangala always wanted to do something different. She just completed her diploma in Electronics and Communications from SJ Polytechnic in Bangalore. So, what tempted her to apply? "I saw the advertisement and was excited about the designations. I applied immediately. I am going to be the train pilot and nothing else. Imagine driving the Bangalore metro," she beams.
Twenty-four-year-old P R Naveen from Bangarpet is also interested in driving. A diploma holder (electronics and communications) from government polytechnic, Chintamani, he never dreamt that he would make it to Bangalore or Delhi. "The BMRCL has given rural students a wonderful opportunity. Otherwise, how can we even think of getting such an exciting profile in a central government owned company?" he asks.