The Barpali Days

This blog is the Facebook of Barpali which picturise its "life" and "culture". It was a "palli" or a village a century back where the all time great Oriya poet swabhaba kabi Gangadhar Meher had taken birth. Now this bustling little town is renowned world-over for the weaving of Sambalpuri ikat handloom fabrics. Agriculture is its prime economy. And when you happen to visit this little town don't miss to taste Chaul bara.

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Showing posts with label Corporates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Corporates. Show all posts

Feb 7, 2019

1:58 PM

Bharat Sahu: A Corporate Honcho of NALCO


Bharat Sahu is a who-is-who in the corporate circle of Bhubaneswar. He is the Deputy Company Secretary of National Aluminium Company Ltd. NALCO is one of the Nabaratna public sector company(PSU’s) of India. The Profit After Tax(PAT) for the year FY 2017-18 is INR 1,342 crores. Though NALCO is a PSU yet it is worth a note compare the magnitude of this company with the health budget of the state of Odisha which is a cool 1,796 crores.



Bharat was born to a mediocre family of Titilagarh in Balangir district. During childhood he was brought up under the dire circumstances of life. His father was operating a small grocery store to support his five siblings. At Titilagarh Bharat has attended government run Oriya schools virtually free of cost to learn the alpha numerics in Oriya vernacular. He was paying  an abysmal monthly fee of Rs.16(Sixteen Rupee only) to do his Graduation in Commerce from DAV College of Titilagarh.


The five siblings at home were brought up by his father on a hand to mouth basis. Bharat did not availed any luxury the way most of us might have brought up. They did not even used to have a television set at home. Each Sunday evening Bharat was going to their neighbour’s house to watch the Hindi movies that were telecast by Doordarshan. Like any other youngster Bharat was fond of watching movies. There was only one cinema theatre at Titilagarh i.e. Kailash Talkies. Bharat did not use to have money to buy even a ticket so as to watch movies.  When Bharat was accumulating Rs.2 he used to go theatre to watch a movie. He recalls those bygone era when there were no multiplexes and online booking of movie tickets the way it is done today in the metropolitan cities. Quite often his hand used to be scratched while buying a cinema ticket from the counter due to push and pull. To refresh his mouth during the intermission all that he could afford to buy was peanuts by sparing 50 Paise. With this little luxury of life Bharat spent his college life.




Bharat had an unforgettable event of his life while pursuing B.Com(Hons) at DAV College, Titilagarh. Those days people use to watch movies in the televisions by hiring a Video Cassette Player(VCP). The rental for one video show was Rs.20, whereas for entire night it was Rs.50/- for three movies. Bharat befriended with the caretaker of VCP and use to go along with that boy to watch the latest released movies free of cost. In the year 1988 the Hindi movie “Ram teri Ganga maili” was released. It was a R.K.Film production of Raj Kapoor. He got to know the Gujrati owner of Jayanti Hotel had hired a VCR to watch this particular movie. Bharat had the urge to watch particularly the scene when the heroin Mandakini would be bathing at a waterfall. Bharat watched the whole movie and from there went to have the Rajbhog at the Astaprahari. By the time he finished dinner at astaprahari it was late night.



At around 11.30PM while he was crossing the railway pedestal bridge his father was coming from the other side. On seeing Bharat his father asked, where the hell you have been, without informing mother? Is it the time to return home? He was furious. He lifted his shoe and started beating Bharat rampantly while shouting. His father dragged Bharat and took home while beating him with sticks that were laying on the road. Residents of Katkia Pada came out of their houses to check what the uproar is all about. It was an embarrassing situation for Bharat because girls of the street were watching from the windows of their homes all the proceedings of the court martial of this stoic young man. On reaching home his mother immediately embraced Bharat while crying. She hedged her son from getting anymore thrash from his father. She enquired Bharat if he had taken the dinner anywhere or not?





Since Bharat was a young man he too could have revolted, but controlled his senses. Next morning with a resentment Bharat abstained himself from taking breakfast. But at noon hours his caring mother made him partake a bowl of basi pakhal. It was such an embarrassing event for Bharat that he could not step out of his home for next three days.

Bharat was in a state of depression and went on to think of commiting suicide. That event made a deep impact in his life. Bharat tried to understand under what circumstances his father was earning money by doing a petty business to support them. Even though his father was not that literate yet he was knowing how to do upbringing of his children. Neither Bharat nor his brothers ever dare to speak a word with his dad. Whereas it’s an irony to watch the way today children are brought up in every home. As on this date in English medium schools they are not teaching the Indian social and cultural values. Due to rampant commercialisation the needs of children are getting skyrocketing. The things they ask need to be fulfilled instantly, otherwise they revolt against their parents. Either they would do hunger strike or fled from their home.

This particular event taught a big lesson to Bharat. There onwards he became calm and quite. He was vigilant on his senses, which were flattering here and there. He focused on the priorities of his life. At morning he use to attend college, at evening was roaming with friends on the narrow streets of Titilagarh, but at night religiously doing his studies.


In the year 1991 he went to New Delhi with just Rs.1,600/- to join the course of CS that is offered by Institute of Company Secretaries of India(ICSI). He was nervous to carry this little amount, fearing if it stolen in the train how will he manage at such a big metropolitan city. In the train every other hour he was checking his trouser pocket, if money purse is there intact. On reaching New Delhi for five months his elder brother sent Rs.800/- a month. With this meagre money Bharat use to manage his expenses.





Due to constraint of money while studying in the NIRC(North India Regional Council) of ICSI all that Bharat could afford was to have एक बटा दो (one by two) glass of tea. Which means he was sharing one glass of tea with any of his friend. The cost of a glass of tea was Rs.2 but all he had to pay Rs.1 instead. While doing so he was saving One Rupee. He focussed on the target, instead of the troubles in which his life was lingering in.  
E.Kiran Mohan(The Writer)
C/o.Dr.E.R.Rao (M.D)
Main Road, Near SBI,
At/PO : Barpali-768029
Dist.Bargarh,Odisha, India

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Jun 30, 2015

10:11 AM

State Bank of India (SBI), Barpali Branch : A Pandora's box to unveil


While looking at the above image you may be mislead thinking it to be a fish market of Howrah or the long queue in a ticket counter of CST of Mumbai. But it is neither of the two. It is the view of SBI branch of Barpali. 


Though the working hours starts at 10.00AM, but you won’t find its staff on their respective seats till 11.00AM. Its employees are absolutely lethargic and highly indiscipline. The situation inside this branch is alarming like any other branches of this public sector monolith. There is absolute chaos. In an average every other day one account holder fights verbally with the bank staff for the poor or lack of service in the branch. In the past one of its Branch Manager Late M.R.Hanuman was a victim of hypertension and high blood-pressure caused while working in this ill fated branch of Barpali. He expired during February 2007 within six months from the date of occupying the position of the Branch Manager.


Though the branch has got three ATM machines, but most of the days they remain un-operational either because they are not stuffed with cash or because of internet link failure. Henceforth every account holder is forced to withdraw money from the cash counter during the working hours. On any given moment of a working day there would be around 30+ account holders standing in a queue either to deposit or to withdraw the money. It consumes an enormous one to two precious hours to withdraw money. It’s highly irritating especially when you languish for hours together to withdraw your very own money. Think how bizarre it would be for any service holder or a businessman to part this much of precious time during the business hours of the day.

It is highly disgusting when you step into its filthy ATM chamber  adjoining the branch. As could be seen in the photo the residents of Barpali are so vulgar that they spit the pan and guthka inside the ATM chamber, while waiting for their turn to withdraw money. 


Since the beginning of the summer the main glass door of the ATM chamber is all the time kept open, because the pull-back system does not work.  What is the point when you operate two AC machines inside it, while the door is open. The precious electricity of the nation is being wasted for no reason. It is such a small fault they should have replaced the equipment, if not getting a mechanic at Barpali to repair it.

A majority of the readers might be looking at the scenario from the investor perspective. But one need to look at the other side of the desk as well. Mr.Sanat Sahu the ABM of the Barpali SBI branch defends the position of the branch by saying, there are only seven officials of the bank to serve as many as 20,000+ saving accounts. Apart from this there are 5,000+ term deposits and current accounts that are in operations. When so ever any Government schemes or programs are introduced there would be a plethora of new application forms to open the bank accounts by the public to avail the benefits. This causes an uninvited extra burden.

The major cause of stepping of unaccountable customers to the branch is the non-use of alternative payment gateways, be it the use of mobile banking, internet banking or swapping of the cards. The reason for it is that, most of our account holders are either illiterate or not tech savvy. The mass does not use either net banking or phone banking.  

Nevertheless when you visit any private bank be it either the Axis, ICICI, HDFC or the IDBI Bank at Bargarh you would be greeted with a smile at the reception by a lady executive and most likely to be offered a cup of tea or a drink if you posses a priority account. And this writer is enjoying such status quo unasked for the past ten years, because he got a salary account of LIC of India with Axis Bank.

IFSC Code : SBIN0002012 

Branch Code : 002012
MICR Code : 768002044 

NB : The views expressed over here are personal and not targeted upon any particular employee or the Branch Manager of the SBI, Barpali.

Cell# +918249314972
E.Kiran Mohan
C/o.Dr.E.R.Rao (MD)
Tehsil Chowk,
At/PO. BARPALI – 768 029
Dist. Bargarh, Orissa, India 


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Barpali, Orissa, India Barpali, Odisha 768029, India