Relaxing in an easy chair at home after retirement, a luxury for which most government staff long for, is not good enough for this 65-year-old retired TANGEDCO official, who says he’s satisfied only when he works for the pension amount he gets and claims will declare he does not want pension when he needs rest.
V Gopalan, a retired Commercial Inspector residing at Srirangam, has been cycling about 9 km to Mannarpuram where the Assistant Executive Engineer (Operations and Maintenance) office is located. It has been his practice since 1982 when he was transferred to Tiruchy from Mayiladuthurai as Assistant Commercial Inspector. When he retired from service as Commercial Inspector at the same office on January 31, 2006, he didn’t want to sit idle. His conscience did not allow him to simply receive the pension and relax for the rest of his life.
“The very next day, I started for the office and began to do work that I was doing for the past several years,” says Gopalan, while continuing his work at the office. “I feel I’m healthy and do not want the money (pension) without doing any work. So I cycled to my office and informed the higher officials about my willingness and they wholeheartedly accepted my request,” Gopalan says.
The office, which takes care of Operations and Maintenance work for Tiruchy rural, has been focusing on Manikandam, Somarasampettai, Tiruparaithurai and Vannankoil areas and three sub-stations that are supposed to have at least four staff. But presently one Commercial Inspector does the work of four staff. Since Gopalan volunteered, the officials accepted his offer.