Wonderful memories of Gorakhpur and retirement in year 1998

As I had already mentioned that there was heavy rainfall in year 1998 in the month of July and August and I was given the charge of monitoring the floods and send the reports along with our own charge of the 3 divisions of Ballia, Mau , and Sant Kabir Nagar.In all the above divisions there was work of lift canals and there were high capacity pumps and the canals .The water is lifted by pumps and then this water reaches to the fields though canals by gravity flow.There used to be meetings in circuit house where some times the Ministers and chief minister used to discuss the position of the floods.I remember when I was visiting one of the earthen dam where it was reported that the beach had occurred and we had rushed there to stop the breach.As soon as I along with E E Sh V B Singh crossed the road the flood water came and the road was cut off. We were standing on the top of the dam and making efforts to plug the breach the MLA of that area arrived on the scene and he started slogans that ," Engineers are corrupt and that they had bungled the funds of floods and no villager was allowed to stop the breach." after convincing they were pacified and the then E E Sh . Singh distributed the wine pouch to the villagers and the labourers started work with great zeal and they dumped the boulders and the trees branches and at night they could not differentiate between tree branches and snakes and by the morning we could manage to pluck the breach otherwise it would brought great disaster and loss to the property and lives also.I thanked Sh Singh E E for his work and we returned after doing the work.Those years were very difficult for Engineers of irrigation department as the Govt had suspended about 453 Executive Engineers /Assistant Engineers for dereliction of duties.
I still remember that when the then Chief Minister Sh kalyan was holding the meeting with all the ministers in the circuit house of Gorakhpur.All the officers of Irrigation and P W D were summoned .There were cabinet and state ministers like Sh HARISH TIWARI,SH SP SHUKLA, SH MARKANDEY, SH AMAR MANI TRIPATHI etc attending the meeting .All the ministers had reported that the Engineers had tarnished the image of U P Govt and as such all the Engineers were dishonest and that they bungled the funds of Floods and so the dams were not being maintained properly.On the other hand the engineers were of the opinion that the funds were not made available in time therefore the contractors did not do the work and they pressed for their pending payments.In this way the work used to suffer.Had the funds be made available well on advance the work would not suffer .Some of the ministers raised the issue that the Executive engineer Sh.V. B .Singh should be suspended because he had tarnished the image of UP Govt.As I was monitoring the floods I was asked to explain .I stood up that and reported that sh Singh E E was with me and we tried to save the dam and the villages from floods by plugging the breach of dam.I further added that had sh Sihgh not worked on the dam we all would not had been conducting meeting in circuit house and that Gorakhpur would have been submerged with flood water.So engineers were not be blamed .The earthen dams were very old and these belong to the English rule period. In my statement I also referred that the Chief Minister had seen my work Atrauli district Aligarh and that I never recommend wrong person and I myself also tried to do the work according to the rules.The Chief Minister asked the then Engineer In Chief to express his opinion .The then Chief reported that it was quite correct.so the then chief minister spared Sh Singh and he was not suspended.As soon as the meeting ended the one of the Minister tried to molest me as I had taken side of our brother engineers.Any way the then DI G of police had escorted me to safety till the CM had left the place.In such a situation I had to pass as I spoke the truth.On the other hand the E E Sh Singh thanked me that I had saved his career.The engineers of other department also thanked me as I spoke on behalf of all engineers.On that day I felt so much elated and I felt that I had worked something good for others.
Another incident occurred that I was called for tour with minister Sh Tiwari and Sh Markandey to visit the flood effected areas.I along with my staff and E E S arrived at the residence of Sh Tiwari and we were made to wait in a temporary shelter of the huge farm house .It was said that Sh Tiwari had 2oo cows .After about half an hour Mr Tiwari started for tour and he sat in a white SUMO and there were about 10 SUMOS of white colour were following him and in the last the officers were travelling in their GOVT vehicles. In 10 Sumos there were Tiwaris body guards with arms and ammunition.After travelling some distance the sumos stopped and Sh Tiwari changed the sumo and sat in the middle so that any person who might be his enemy could not attacked .In this way they stopped in the way so many times.While visiting some village One of the Minister asked me to prepare the estimate to raise the village to which I directed my E E .But It was technical matter how the village could be raised? Any way we reached Mau and water of river was entering the village and any its direction was changed and the village was saved.Here Sh Tiwari asked me to leave the AE there and that he would control the situation .The A E had to escape from the site on the log of wood and thus saved his life.As a matter fact the A E had to spend night of captivity and any how was rescued.


When I retired I got so much of affection and respect which I never received in my life earlier .All the staff and public gave me befitting send off which I cannot forget.So many staff and public came to railway station to see me of .One of my JE was sh Maurya.and we used to call him as MAURYA SAHIB out of respect.One day he asked us why we call him sahib we told him that he was also our family member in the department and there was nothing wrong if we pay due respect to him. The circle staff and colleagues presented me the fare well letter properly framed and I am keeping it as our cherished memory.