The highly feted and respected head honcho of Delhi Metro, E Sreedharan, has resigned after owning moral responsibility for an accident at a Metro construction site earlier in the day that killed six. Fully aware of the impact that Sreedharan has had on the project so far, and recognizing that some critical projects are under way to coincide with the Commonwealth Games in Delhi next year, the government has said it would not be ‘hasty’ with its decision.

Sreedharan belongs to a rare breed of project managers that believes in delivering, without worrying too much about the red tape and systems and procedures. It is this quality in him that makes him a nightmare for ‘go by the rule book’ bureaucrats, but endears him to the politicians.

While there is little doubt that Sreedharan has overseen what is undoubtedly the finest example of project management in the country, it is also a fact that in recent times, as the workload on the corporation increased, a lot more than just other procedures seem to have been bypassed.

DMRC is a victim of its own success, in a way. In a country where projects, even in the private sector, are ridden with time and cost overruns, Delhi Metro has delivered ahead of time, each and every time. And every time it does so, it is accompanied by public adulation. My fear is that this adulation has given rise to some undesirables, that includes the propensity to take unnecessary risks.

As I said, Sreedharan’s work style can be anathema for babus, but loved by the politicians. A politician is elected for five years and he wants to show as much as possible as his accomplishments during the five years that he is elected for to better his chances of re-election. When Sreedharan casts aside set procedures and delivers, the babus hate it, but the public loves it. And the politician, who loves to claim credit for all work done, laps it up even more.

So what should the government do now? Sreedharan has yet again done what would be expected of anyone in his place. But can the government afford to let him go? He knows the project inside out. He has brought in systems that have ensured quality that is alien to India otherwise. And he is a man of unimpeachable integrity. It is clear that a person like him to manage projects of this magnitude is a rarity, at least in India.

Knowing Sreedharan, he would take this too as a challenge and deliver as only he can.