Anatomy of a Goverment office

 The Anatomy of a Goverment office .

To me Goverment offices are familiar since childhood .

My oldest memory as a 6 or 7 year old  school boy playing amongst dusty files of The Home department in The Secretariat of the then Madras State Goverment where my father was the Superintendent .

Of course it wasnt a frequent trip but a rare one or two but I do remember the homely canteen with fresh mixture and filter coffee I was treated with ,and the meticulous notes by my dad in the voluminous files .

His notes in the files were said to be even appreciated by the minister himself ,for thier literary and logical content as in those days Ministers had adequate intelligence and patience to recognise and appreciate such talents of thier employees  unlike now !

By my tenth year my dad left me as a fatherless child with a monthly family pension to my mum which had to be physically collected unlike bank crediting these days .

Though in intial days I went with my mother , the remark of my dads friend once "hey young man why dont you come alone instead of troubling your poor mum ?"

And so it was seen a half short boy stood in line every month amongst octogenarians and gruff pensioners and widows .

When we reached the counter i had to stand on tip toe to sign and get the money and take it home by bus .

Later in my medical college days all in Goverment colleges I was asked to bring my mother on Day one when others had brought thier whole families 😁

During my post graduate admission in Madras medical college I showed my anger at the Deans secretary for making me wait interminably ,by then I had developed a faint distrust on Goverment offices ,but the secretary showed his revenge by complaining to the Dean of the arrogant new PG who felt Dean better see him and NOW .

I got an earful from the said Dean who blasted me and I stared at him thinking you Govt moron 😁 while my eyes filled .

With this bad start I quickly was in bad books of Radiotherapy Asst prof Dr Boopal who felt I was an arrogant guy taking my own time to reach OP and conferred with the Director of radiology and  radiotherapy dept in Bernard institute of Cancer and I promptly got a lecture from him too on humility and a sneering Bhoopal standing on the side .

Bloody Govt wallahs was all what I thought then 😁 .

Strangely Bhoopal sir came to know I had enough reasons  and lack of humility wasnt exactly what I was made of ,and he became not only a good friend but a mentor too ,taking me home and giving me books and wishing me well .

I happened to see Bhoopal sir years later in an oncology conference in Chennai  to laugh over those days 😂 .

I never joined Govt service though I attempted Army medical corps but after the passed interview ,my myopic eyes didnt make the selection !

I still remember the recruiting colonel telling me AMC wasnt so great ,as he knew my uncle was a big officer and so felt I needed some explanations 😁

And later I got selected to Indian Railways and so I was waiting for the final selection and was thinking of all the first class travels across India I found it was not to be so as they just cancelled the whole list that year due to a court case claiming it as not needed 🙄😁 .

And I started my private practice smiling all the way to bank for two decades .

My going to RCC for an observer course was my next Sort of Govt experience .

The Director the famous Dr Krishnan nair Sir didnt encourage me when I met him 

He asked me 

" whats your plans for doing an observership here ?"

" I said Academia Saar "

Somehow I managed to convince him of my not having morbid ulterior motives and I did a stint of two months in RCC .

The best thing happening then was my meeting VPG Sir and developing an instant rapport with him and later my  coming back to oncology by joining VPG sir in Lakeshore hospital in Cochin .

No Govt hospital you see 😁

My stints abroad in Tawam Hospital run hy Johns Hopkins  in Al ain ,UAE and Brunei cancer center in Brunei Darrusalam were premier Govt hospitals but selectively autonomous ,unlike thier Govt hospitals .

 Now back to VPSLH a private one .

But I did visit a lot of Govt offices regarding my house for paying property tax ,corpn tax ,electricity, telephones,  like anyone else and had my share of fights there too 😁

During Shilpa society days I went to Trivandrum on off or to collectorate kakkanad to push files .

I used to wait for long hours at times in their chairs even napping and seeing dreams 😁 .

After a long long time I went yo pay property tax for my apartment in Kakkanad  today .

The Thrikakkara muncipality was in a brand new building but I was stopped in the doorway 

I said in malayalam

"Came to pay tax "

"Give fotostat copy of your bill go home , come back on day we call you ,covid rules you see "

Guy I have seen many like you

"I told him look , I need to see the biggest officer in this building ! "

This technique I used often even in the UAE once and becoming buddy with the biggest Arab in that building in due course.

Something in my voice made him open the  door and point to a lady officer

See her

I went in

Madam I am a doctor and cant come another day implying on how busy we covid warriors were 😐🤨

Madam apologetically took me to a clerk and she got my job done 

Thanks people

For once I liked Govt workers 

I just added a parting shot which I couldnt resist

" Its best these things are online "

"Yes we are on it "

I said 

"You have a new building but still an old mind ! "😁

😁