LIC PENSIONERS CHRONICLE

I was 30 years younger then.  Still an Assistant.  Prof. Ishwar Dayal's Reorganisation Scheme was very much in the air. Atmosphere was charged with tension.  People talked of their fears. There was resistance.  For valid reasons of course. Having joined and retired too in the same post, there was no wonder, people believed Re-organisation Scheme was another trap.

I had joined a new Dept.  Yes, L.& HPF.  I had new ideas drawing inspiration from certain formats produced by 'OIC' team.  Slowly I started working on those lines. Shri AR Menon, Manager, was also new to the Dept.  He supported me while AO Shri  Mathulla said: "Menon will burn his fingers."

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COMBINED WORK AND REDUCED STAGES...

For a decision, for a letter to party...FILE MOVED 19 TIMES.

I didn't know what I was doing. But I continued my work.   A housing loan was disbursed.  For this, file moved 19 times. First, for sanction. Then file moved to AO for signature on letter to party informing him loan is sanctioned. Next time to DM..... and so on. 

Strategy was simple. I combined and reduced stages of work. When an Office Note is placed to DM for loan sanction, a letter to party to inform loan is sanctioned was also placed. When the file returned, this letter to party is simply detached and despatched.

SAME WORK REDUCED TO 8 STAGES

This process continued.  Nineteen stages of work were reduced to just 8.  The entire department stood as one objecting to these changes.  There was a solitary exception. Yes, the Manager.  Shri AR Menon, Manager, didn't find any problems.  He was calm. Cool as ever.  To avoid sabotage from within, Shri Menon permitted me to work alone.  HGA's services got diverted to other works in department. That made my position supreme, as I was now answerable to Shri Menon only.  

...PRODUCED 80% INCREASE IN
LOAN  DISBURSEMENT !

Finally when results were analysed, it was found, there was 80% increase in loan disbursement done by one Assistant only over the previous  year's loan payment (done by 2 persons - an HGA and Assistant).  Results were published in the Divisional News Letter. (All graphics published here are taken from Divisional Office News Letter only).

After a couple of years work in the Department, I moved to Calicut Branch No.1.  Shri AR Menon was transferred to Bangalore Division. In the meanwhile, Calicut Division had won an All India competition for housing loans disbursed. Prize money received was spent in a befitting manner.  There was a grand celebration in the L&HPF Dept.attended by all those in the Dept. who opposed these changes saying "AR Menon will burn his fingers".  

Notable absentees were Shri AR Menon and myself.  I was in Calicut Branch No.1 just a kilometer away.  I came to know of these celebrations from a top All India leader of AIIEA who was then working in the Dept.  He said he "felt very bad!" 

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