Choti Choti batyen of NTPC [2]

 Choti Choti batyen of NTPC

[After superannuation when I look back on my 36 years span of NTPC carrier, I find many uncanny incidents that I tried to recall in this blog post. Hope you will enjoy this. Comments are welcome]

Goru [The cow]: It was 1989 in Korba. The 10th, 11th & 12th, these three batches of young & bachelor engineers were kept in and around several field hostels – FH-1A,1B,2 & 3. Most of us were in shift duties and beyond shift duty we literally had no jobs except gossiping around and playing cricket at the adjacent backyard park of the FH-1A. If it was first night or evening shift, then after breakfast we used to play cricket. There were several trees in the park. Therefore, one could never guess where the ball could head after hitting. 

                                                                                      Cow catchers [grilled road] were placed on all the roads leading to the field hostel complex to restrict entry of cows in the field hostel complex. Once after hitting, the ball went missing and finally got trapped in the cow catcher grill. This man [say X] was fielding near the grill, he went out to fetch the ball so that we could resume the match.

While we all were waiting for the throw from X, we heard that he himself got trapped in the cow catcher grills. We all rushed there, finally together we lifted the part of the grill so that he could free his leg entangled below the grill. 

                                                                               Surprised we asked him one question – how could you got yourself trapped in a cow catcher grill, which is meant for cows!

‘Because he is a cow’ – apt came reply from Y of his batch.

Since then X is termed as Cow in the Korba circle and he did never mind too.

Last departure from North Karanpura:  My last departure from North Karanpura was no less than a drama. We were still toying with the idea of our final departure day from North Karanpura. Finally, the previous day my wife told her friend that we would set out in the morning at 7:30AM.  Immediately she said that she & her husband [a colleague of mine] would come down together to see us off.

 

At 7:30 when we came out and we found that the entire O&M & Project leadership team was standing by my car to see us off. It was totally unexpected! Of course the ceremonial sent off killed some more time to start but it was very pleasant to get us enthralled in their love & affection!

I remember last year I myself bid farewell to one of our leaders when he was leaving last time from this place and it was only 4 men including myself were at his door step to saw him off.

May be my personal behavior could have some reason but still I find NTPC North Karanpura have many more reasons to believe that. Over the last one year the plant have stabilized with one unit started commercial operations. The people have started finding their hopes & joys in NTPC North Karanpura which once slated as political junkyard! 

                                                                                                                   Now as more time passes and the remaining two units start coming up, the postings at NTPC North Karanpura will be no less than any prized postings like NTPC Korba, Singrauli or any other places and people will start enjoying things that comes natural to them. 

Bag Mama: Don’t know who coined him with that name ever but nothing was more appropriate than this name for him! He was one of those great HOPs of this NTPC station where I was posted for a good number of years. Fear is the word which comes first with his arrival! Very few saw him laughing, and in a meeting if he laughed at somebody, be rest assured that man was going to have his worst day that day.

                                                                                                   Also, he was very famous for frugality, if something could be achieved in a cheaper way then someone must strive for it! That was his way of working which is not suitable in today’s environment. Brand image goes hand in hand with our day to day works as well!

Lets explain, this happened during one of my Delhi tour during those days. I was coming from Delhi by train and as per my entitlement I was travelling by a 2nd AC compartment of this train. The then CPM [Chief Personal Manager – or HOHR now] was coming by the same train and he was travelling by 1st AC compartment which was as per his entitlement. I meet him in the train as his coach was adjacent to my coach. 

                                                                      I was feeling bore, so I made a round of the all vestibule train from one coach to the other coach. The CPM on the way told me to go upto the end of 3rd AC coach to see something amazing which he did not reveal further. Intrigued me went upto the last B3 coach to see that the then HOP was travelling in that coach. The 6 feet tall man was sitting on the side upper coach reading a book, as the lower berth man was still sleeping on the lower seat!

                            His volitional difficult condition made me cringed & embarrassed such that I hid my face and move passed the coach quickly to return to my seat. Later the CPM secretly confessed me that the above incident had happened many times with him as both of them together had to go to HQ many times.

Today when I look back the whole incident, I see it was completely unwarranted and uncalled for. A man at high capacity must keep in mind that his mere strategic thinking can save more money than by any other activities. Therefore, he must look out for a conducive atmosphere for doing that strategic thinking rather than focusing on smaller self imposed sacrifices!

[to be continued]

S. Bera

berasomnath@gmail.com