12. Immemorial LIC loop check after relieving at Alkan. In Jan.1971, after relieving and hand over of all tools to store keeper at Baroda site, Mr K Sethuraman that time Operations Manager of IPCL demanded with my boss Mr B Sankaranarayanan- how can you relieve Mr Ramanathan ? I want him now for carrying out one LIC loop check ! BS looked at me and I looked at him. When I expressed that I am still to pack my clothes at Hotel Staywell, he responded- don't bother on that; I shall ask Mr Sardhana to carry it out and I shall get the tools in my name& you go to the field to help Mr Sethuraman. As even my technician Rajesh had gone by that time, Mr Sethuraman acted as my helper to conduct that loop test by 18.45 hours on that day. To acknowledge my professional commitment, he drove me direct to Baroda station and hosted the dinner on that day at the station canteen. KS, BS & his family members as well as Sardhana saw me off boarding Dehradun express to Bombay (Mumbai now). This I can never forget in my life. Year 1971
13. Sh. SV Rajagopal suggested an ice cream party to the technicians. While I was the Assistant Training Officer (Instrumentation) I used to give training exercise to my technicians- with the Manufacturer's catalogue & Parts assembly drawings, calibrate first, then disassemble & reassemble the field instruments, calibrate them again. This exercise was to ensure that there was no nonlinearity introduced and experience the trade. SVR , the chief manager - Instrumentation appreciated this process of learning and jokingly told that SPIC is not poor but at the same time no technician should leave any washer or O ring as spare part while carrying out these exercises; if anybody by fault generate any part/s, he should pay a fine of Re1/- for a part to the ice cream kitty pool. But at a later date he hosted an ice cream party for all the technicians to appreciate their learning efforts. Year 1973
14. Trump motorcycle accident . As my ex-boss BS was leaving M/S Alkan and moving to M/S EIL,New Delhi from Tuticorin ( SPIC site) I wanted to see him off. Courtesy demanded that and I attempted to make that trip using my Trump motor cycle at about 19.15 hours from SPIC township. Unfortunately, on an en route flyover I lost the balance as there was a lorry with bright light crossing over. Luckily I fell on the right; had it been to my left, I would not be here ( live) now to pen this. Fortunately my friend Sh Pandian, an IOC petrol bunk owner who arrived there in a few minutes rescued me and admitted me in Sacred Heart hospital and reported to Spic management next day. Later only I realised that it was a major accident and my collar bone fractured. It took several months for cure and my friends in SPIC mocked me as Coat hanger ! Year 1974
15. After serving in Spic for 5 1/2 years since there was no scope to get transferred to Instrument department, I looked for a change. Accidentally Alkan Chief Mr G A Ameer called & asked me to take over the management of Baroda region. Though I went back to Baroda only to look after the Instrumentation implementation of IPCL Naphtha cracker - GOP consisting of cracker & BBH, recognizing my company and my managerial capabilities, IPCL/EIL gave us several piping and insulation contracts in Offsite, ACF, ACN etc. During execution of one cross country 6" naphtha feed line that too above ground on sleepers the question of hydrotest under hot Sun cropped up. As it was around 11 am that day, due to heat radiation the line test pressure was not holding . Myself and my supervisor Mr Sekhar told the EIL inspector that we shall postpone the test and take up in the evening when it becomes cool. But he was adamant and instructed us to switch on the booster pump ! The result was that we were left with a snake as the pipe pressure crossed the upper limit of its design pressure. Typical public sector blame game raised- who will bear the cost of the material replacement? IPCL/EIL begged Alkan management NOT to expose them and requested to bear some nominal cost to show in the accounts book.
16. Miserable first abroad assignment After the cancellation of an earlier Qatar trip with M/S L&T in 1972 I was longing for a foreign assignment. In late '79 M/S Toyo Engineering Japan identified me specifically and asked M/S Alkan to deploy me first followed by a few engineers and 24 workmen. In those days, as people were not conversant with the international conditions as well as acute cold weather warm clothes requirements etc. Alkan management fixed a random salary + considering the local living allowance as fully convertible, sourced a cheap ticket with Polish Airlines and sent me only with a half sleeve sweater. At that time the administration manager was thinking that he knew the entire world and committed these blunders. At each step I faced misery.
a) The flight had a refuelling halt at Beirut. So all the passengers were asked to alight from the plane and wait in a bunker. That city had the terrorist menace then itself and the army personnel were firing continuously with AK47 in front of the waiting passengers. One can imagine the plight of the waiting passengers
b) At Prague, as the flight has reached before the schedule, the airlines personnel asked to board the immediate plane to Schoenefeld in East Germany. Being not aware of the local regulations then, I also thought I could reach earlier than scheduled and boarded that plane. That was the misery. On reaching Schoenefeld airport, the immigration authorities refused to let me in since mine was visa on arrival. Imagine a person wearing only a half sleeved sweater in snow falling open air. That airport authorities were strict because of unauthorised Sri Lankan immigrants ramping up. So I was forced to stand in open for nearly two hours.
c) But the driver Sh John turned up as per schedule carrying my visa. So the entry formalities ended fast and as it was already lunch time he took me to the airport canteen. We thought we might get some bread, fruits and egg omelette; but we could get only beef steak. As we had no alternative options we took that by force.
d)As that day was Friday I was advised to stay put inside house only until Mr Kannan of Toyo could arrange my work permit pass on Monday morning. On seeing me in a half sleeve sweater, Toyo's administrative director Mr Nagamatsu scolded me and Alkan management and instructed Mr Kannan to arrange issuing one full set of warm clothes. Then he instructed me to convey the requirements to my management for the team members following. But the typical administration set up in Alkan they ignored that call. So my responsibility was enhanced at the site. From the allowable local Mark currency available I sourced those warm dress requirements for all the team members.
e) There only we learnt what the communist government meant. Each and every thing in stores was controlled and no one can purchase in excess. I happened to come across one vet sad case- A nine year old boy unknowingly wrapped a fish pocket in a newspaper which had the photo of the then Secretary General of GDR. Somebody has reported that to police stating that the boy had not given due respect to their leader. The boy was punished with death and he was shot dead in public.
f) As for my health concern I could not bear that biting cold and family separation played too much. Though my leadership quality was excellent and appreciated by Mr Nakamura, Chief Instrument engineer of Toyo at site, he only recommended that I should return back immediately and I came back handing over the charge to my trusted deputy Mr S Kannan
Contd.
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