Half a
decade of learning (75-80)
Lot of changes marked this period of my life.
Hindustan steel plant merged with a bigger holding company -Steel Authority of
India Ltd. The design office became a separate company known as MECON. I had a
change of responsibilities and a variety came into my work. I had a lot of
interaction with MECON at Ranchi for collecting drawings and had the pleasure
of many technical discussions. In addition to this I started giving part time
lectures in the Technical Institute, the only one in all the three plants. For
diploma trainees the fee was Rs 15 and degree trainees it was Rs 25 per
lecture, all this extras used to come with the pay slip.
Mr. Tripathy, my boss used to be a great friend of
mine. Unfortunately he was shifted to some other department, and one junior
chap Randhawa joined as manager. In 1976, I applied for three jobs, one in the
Space Institute, one in HSCL and the third in EIL. I got all the three, but
accepted EIL, as they are consultants. I was posted at Bangaigaon, where there were
no high schools so I dropped the idea. I had resigned from SAIL, and so had to
withdraw the same. Six months later I again got an offer from EIL with a posting
at Mathura. I readily agreed to this.
I left the state alone by train and was received
by Mr. Behl and was asked to stay in a so called international hotel at Jagannathpuri
in Mathura. After about 15 days I took leave and went back to bring my family
in January 1977. The luggage came in a wagon and we traveled by my green
ambassador by road. This was a new experience of traveling using road maps and
for a distance of around 2000 Km. We had three night halts at places like Daltongunj,
Fatehpur etc. Before leaving Mathura I had fixed up a house of a widow to take on
rent, who had a lawyer lover! The problem was the area was vegetarian being Krishna’s
birth place. My wife used to cook eggs and throw the shells quietly when the
landlady was absent or busy. Both the daughters were going to different schools
as usual! The older one travelled to Agra every day and the younger one was in
a local convent school and went by bicycle!
The work was the utilities area known as area III
and I was the Construction Superintendent, which is different from supervising
engineers who are for a particular branch. My area of operation was the power
plant, water supply- intake well at Yamuna River, a bridge and road connecting
to the highway and a cross country pipeline to the refinery. It also included another intake well at Keetham
Lake with a treatment plant and 35 km of pipeline, along with laying the cable.
The sewerage system with an open channel came next. The work was interesting
and the contractors were good.
The actual pipeline work was done by me without
drawings! After completing the work I used to go to head office and make the
drawings for the clients. This was an unusual procedure, but was tolerated.
Most interesting aspect of my work here were the wells which was sunk by Shah
Construction Co had r cracks with which I had immense experience, to the
exclusion of anyone in EIL. The expertise was remotely available from one
eminent geologist, who had no inkling of well sinking. I accepted the well by
putting a RCC ring at the top. Then the question of tilted well was more
serious since it is not only a bridge foundation but also an intake well with
vertical shafts for pumping water. The rectification of tilt was beyond the
capacity of the contractor, and therefore we accepted the well with a penalty
of Rs 1 lac, and this was commissioned in time.
We shifted to the refinery colony after about 4
months. Life was much better with a bigger and better house and a group of
people with whom we could socialize. I was elected president of all India field
officers association, during my probation of first six months. The management
was gracious and accepted most of our demands, and also confirmed me in the job
the day I completed 6 months.
My boss had however to wait for 1 year for
confirmation, the rule being more than 1 year probation amounts to termination.
He was an ex Bhilai chap with no technical knowledge whatsoever. My project
manager at the head office was a great friend of mine, so were all the staffs
including the personnel chap. I had great time both in the office and at home.
Anita for first six months was going to Agra to study in 10th class,
and another 6 months stayed in the hostel. Benita got in the newly opened
school at the colony itself. We had an attached hospital, a club and I was
privileged to go to Delhi on frequent tours. Once I went to Bombay to inspect
the radial pipes which are to be put in the intake well. For the association
work I had gone to Baroda too.
Every two years we used to take LTC and traveled
by car to our declared home town and
back ; halting at places like Fatehpur, Varanasi, Sasaram, Barhi, Ranchi etc.
Initially I was reporting to the boss of the unit,
and then just like in the steel plant one electrical Engineer joined as my
chota boss, and things became a bit difficult. During all Sundays however I went
out with my gun for partridge shoot and sometimes peacock and rabbits. I tried
on several Sundays with one joseph to shoot Nilgais, but did not succeed. We
used to go to Agra very frequently to see the Taj Mahal in different mood, and
the Satsang temple once and of course to see our daughter at the hostel.
After the age of forty EIL gave us a chance for
complete medical examination at the cost of the company so I went to a posh
doctor in Connaught place as recommended by Mr. Wadhwa. The next day he telephoned
and said that the matter was serious. As per the reports my blood sugar was 600
mg and the heart was having ischemia. I started on the medicines right away. My
weight came down by 5 kilos within a fortnight! A small doubt entered my mind
and I went to my brother who was working in Maulana Azad medical college. He handed
me over to his colleague one Dr. Khallilula, (who later became the director of
the college). He in turn handed me over to an internee, who after a thorough
check reported that after 150 beats per min the heart is not getting enough
oxygen. The blood sugar level was 160 mg, and when I checked this with my
earlier doctor, he confessed to have committed a mistake due to defective
reagent in the lab. With this I had to lead a life with permanent disability,
even though I never was admitted in the hospital, nor was sick with even a
small fever!
This period was marked with a new lifestyle, new
set of friends and new ideas about life. It was a busy and fulfilling period
but mostly peaceful and happy.
