Our Dear Sarada Das

Our Dear Sarada Das

P K Routray

 

 

Feel we proud serving in NALCO.

Its name and fame exaggerates our ego

It is the last of the public sectors till today

succeeded braving many rough weathers on its way

Experimented in it, Orissa’s gibbsitic bauxite

in a state where the quality power was out of sight.

Its history of success glorifies some of its architects

whom we bow with gratitude and respects.

One among them stands tall is our dear Sarada Das.

Achutam the then G M from OSEB knew his merit and class.

Handpicked was he, by the ministry to architect NALCO’s foundation

from Greenfield to generate the viable power, on him was thrust upon..

From BITS Pilani, graduated he as an electrical engineer

A stint at Badarpur and Navelilignite shaped his career.

An expert in contracts and experienced in a power plant as a whole

he was considered the best to fit in NALCO’s initial architect’s role.

From green field the power plant had to come up meeting its target

low unit rate, the reliability of power supply to smelter within limits set

to meet the viability of the project, and the commitments

to foreign bankers, government and to prove Orissa bauxite’s potence.

Then his team was criticized for the visual delay hypocritically seen.

Ignorant were the critics that the works unseen behind the scene.

Meticulous ground works by Sarada Babu and his team drew appreciation.

Power was surplus to export as other plants, we could not commission.

Clean were his contract management, project handling- a lesson he set .

Because of him the final settlement of thousands of contracts, deadlines we met.

We all his colleagues and subordinates realize it with gratitude now

He is one of the men behind the scene forgotten over the years, him we bow.

Relinquishing NALCo he with his colleagues built IBB thermal

balancing ecology, with unique layout devoid of pollutants - a beauty astral

From my abyss I revers him silencing the critics of state-run enterprises.

as brilliant engineers take the blames of the losses by bureaucratic abuses.

His smile, his soft words, his expertise and his reactions to crisis

His lucid style of explanations bred many an expert from novice

who joined raw or inexperienced operated the plant with success.

Then the values of the assets here in Orissa the world players could assess.

I am grateful to him for me, his love and recognition

that I cherish, long and heart in heart recollect often.

With grief choked sigh I bid him goodbye

Blessed I am with such a divine man I could establish a tie.

Hey Sarada Babu! Our slogan” Once a Nalconian is forever a Nalconian” holds also true for you.

We from NALCO collectively in grief pray for your peace in Heaven while biding you adieu.

 

 

 

 

(N . B-Sarada Das was my senior and colleague. He left for his heavenly abode on 25th October. Today is his Ekadashi.It is written in his memory.)