1955-60

1955-60

There was an irrigation tour in which we visited all the ancient projects in the state of travancore and the high hills and forests. Then finally after the final exams one all south india tour terminating at Bombay.The study tour was very educative and practical giving us the feeling of a practical engineer, and allowed us to dream of the future. We saw how siphons and aqueducts are built across hills and small large dams around south India, and also the water treatment plants of Bombay and water supply scheme of Trivandrum.

By that time father had come back with only the change in designation as professor of forensic medicine in addition to his other duties. My eldest sister a doctor, brother an electrical engineer and other brother in central intelligence were employed. My request for further study was denied for a very good reason, since we had another 6 in the family to study. I got my result from a malayalam news paper kerala kaumudi, which was available at the madras hotel having passed the degree.

I applied and got a job of junior engineer in irrigation dept at Bhubaneswar in medium irrigation investigation circle and stayed with my sister, who was the state school medical officer. After a couple of months I got a transfer to keonjhar, and did the survey and investigation of the water supply scheme for the town on the same mountain we had climbed in our younger days. The dam and the scheme were however built 30 years later. Meanwhile we had attended the interview for the post of asst engineer and completed the medical test waiting for the posting. This came in dec and posting was at berhampur on training and the places where I worked are at Hinjilicut and Dhanai irrigation project investigations with one overseer, eating only rice and one curry staying in temp sheds, sleeping on charpoys. This experience however prepared me for the hard life, which we civil engineers go through. 

Within a couple of months I was posted to hold a sub division at Akhuapada on the bank of Baitarani, which originated at my home place. I had a staff of around 27 with irrigation, navigation operation of anicut and high level canal systems, including the coast canal in the Bhadrak subdiv. My div hq was at Jajpur, about 10 miles distance and I had a jeep and outboard motor boat for tours which used to be 15 days in a month. Then there was Dhamra port at the meeting point of river Brahmani with the Bay of Bengal. I was the first SDO who visited all the areas under my jurisdiction in nine months of my stay. The coast canal I visited had a dak bungalow having a bunyan tree growing at the center of the drawing room, and the last visit was of the collector in 1942, which I recommended for dismantling.

The coast canals were built before the railways, and was used for travelling by boat upto calcutta, and dak bungalows were built between the canal and the sea. Therefore to approach by modern jeep we had to go through a slushy village known as irrum, then cross the canal and go by foot. The other incident was the branch canals, which are not jeepable. I used to go by foot and the canal rest house is invariably at the dead end of the canal. The chowkidar was found to be a girl hardly sixteen, being the only daughter of the previous chowkidar with the name of rama, which can also mean ram.

As stipulated we have to pass the exam in law for getting the 1^st increment, and I could get a book known as compendium of law and that was sufficient to pass IPC, CrPC, Evidence Act, and the canal laws. This was required since the SDO was also a 3^rd class magistrate in the olden days and he used to try cases under the Bengal irrigation act. This posting was really a great exposer regarding the running of the department in british days. There was a diary written by a english ISE officer regarding the operation of the gates of the anicut and the canals in old yellowish ink made out of a fruit known as harida. Then there was a note book on the history of wells written by an asst eng sk palit, who by now was my chief engineer, for the bridge on baitarani nearby built by gammons.

Having failed to get the regular commission in the Army I went to the interview for regular reserve in the Army, which allows you to remain in the civil job and will be called only in case of emergency. For this I went to Meerut for SSB, and from there made a trip to Srinagar but train/bus and returned by air/train. The Army had given ticket upto Meerut and the balance I spent aws around Rs 500 in all. I was hoping to find and stay with our sergeant major uncle of keonjhar days who was supposed to be at that place as DSP but he was transferred by then. I stayed in a boathouse in Jhelum at Rs 10 a day with food and a complete trip on the river and dal lake at Rs 5. The bus trip took four days because of one lane traffic and landslides

  

Back at Akhuapada I used to climb eucalyptus trees with my high jump shoes and a leather belts. Then I built one water ski with teakwood and used the motor boat for skiing. Fish was available in plenty and for the first time I developed a taste for it. The bungalow was having 4 rooms in a row just like the one of my father at Koraput, 5 acres of land around and plenty of trees. My pay plus DA was Rs 300, and used to go to Bhadrak to draw the salary.

By dec ’59, I was transferred to a project, known as delta irrigation scheme sanctioned under the hirakud dam project, and remained in charge of left bank, afflux bund, suniamuhi stone quarry and the township. The place was Mundali across Cuttack. Here I had one jeep, a motorboat and the accounting system was resident audit, where as the regular sub div it was post audit.

Here I learned how large construction projects run, and I did small design jobs like circular beams and slabs, complete electrical design for township, operating bulldozers to make roads, and operation of compressors, drilling and blasting stone quarries. Almost every Sundays I used to go to cuttack for seeing english pictures and several times to bhubaneswar  on official duties.

I passed the professional exam for getting the 2^nd increment, consisting of a design and drawing paper and also oriya in high standard. I was not required to appear for language if I would produce my matric certificate, but I wanted to help few telugu/karnatak friends.

I got the commission as 2/Lt in corps of engineers  (bengal group) and attached to Sub Area at Lucknow, and later changed to Danapur. Till date the retention fee of Rs 200, I could not get due to inefficiency of the defense accounting systems. For civil pay our ag office which was at Ranchi, had shifted to Bhubaneswar, and I found that they have a very good system of keeping a page for me and no files. The replies to my letters are in the back with a rubber stamp, and no copies kept.

I was one of the most eligible bachelors at that time, and various proposals came, and I had to go to see the girls with escorts. One I selected was fairly tall, but her father died and the marriage was cancelled. One was a doctor very thin but the family was involved in some nefarious activities, the other was very short and her sister’s character was doubtful. Then I had a very strong stipulation of a to z viz age, beauty, character, dowry etc. Then I wanted to marry someone and she had other higher goals in life and other was closely related. In the process time was running out, and I accepted the proposal of the daughter of the SP Cuttack who was posted with my father several times and her brother was my friend from keonjhar days. Our engagement lasted for several months and we married just before a transfer.