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Stick to the path of learning, says E Sreedharan

Stick to the path of learning, says E Sreedharan

Author: Express News Service
Published Date: Mar 30, 2012 3:51 AM
Last Updated: May 16, 2012 9:49 PM
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Before taking up the work of Calcutta metro, the first metro
rail in the country, the government send E Sreedharan to Japan to attend a
seminar. After the seminar, Sreedhar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Before taking up the work of Calcutta metro, the first metro
rail in the country, the government send E Sreedharan to Japan to attend a
seminar. After the seminar, Sreedharan spent four more days in Tokyo to study
about the metro rail there. He had to borrow around 300 dollars from his nephew
in the US to meet his  expenses. His stay in Tokyo to gain a first-hand
knowldege of the metro rail helped him in designing the civil structures for
Calcutta metro.
Talking about his experiences in executing major projects in the country at a
seminar here, metro man Sreedharan asked PWD engineers and officials of the
state whether anyone visited Delhi to study the working of the Delhi Metro Rail
Corporation (DMRC).
If I were you, I would have visited. Dont wait for government to send you,
he said. Sreedharan was emphasising on the need to learn the job.
Sreedharan recalled his experiences while addressing Perspective, a seminar on
Modernisation and Road Safety Initiatives in Public Works organised by PWD and
Kesari Memorial Journalists Trust here on Thursday. The principal adviser of
DMRC was speaking  on Implementation of major projects - the challenges
involved.
Passing out from an engineering college will not equip you. You have to learn.
Read books or engage  experts to learn, he said.
During the first phase of DMRC, we had to depend on the services of
international consultants because we did not have the expertise. By the second
phase, we were able to acquire more knowledge and offer advice to other
projects, he said.

For a state like Kerala which had witnessed public opposition to major projects,
it is  worth noting that not a single working day of Delhi Metro was
lost  due the public opposition.  Before taking up major works at a
place, we convened the meeting of local people and representatives, and invited
suggestions. We agreed to comply with their suggestions, he said.
Sreedharan and his team ensured that public did not face troubles due to the
companys work. The areas were well covered and barricaded. No dust was
visible  outside. Even the tyres of the vehicles  were cleaned before
going out  of the site, he said. After the commissioning the metro rail,
a nearby resident had complained that vibrations of moving train were being felt
in his house. Sreedharan personally visited the house and found that complaint
was genuine and soon rectifited the problem.  Sreedharan said that success
of an engineer depended on how the contractor succeeds in his work. The
contractors should be seen as part of the project and the engineers must try to
solve their problems, he said.
He emphasised that integrity was essential for an engineer. Reputation must go
ahead of you, he told engineers.
He also explained how a contractor tried to bribe him during his initial years
of profession. Had I succumbed to it, I would have ruined by career, he said.
Sreedharan personally verified the track record of employees before they were
inducted into the DMRC. He also never hesitated to remove officials who were
tainted.
Sreedharan said that completion of project on time should be an act of social
responsibility. We are spending peoples money. We have moral responsibly
towards the public. Dont concentrate on salary alone. It is a service to
society, he said.
For Sreedharan, Bhagavad Gita is not a religious text, but an administrative
gospel. He said a touch of spirituality is needed. He would give a copy of
Bhagavad Gita to every engineer. He said reading Gita would bring a difference
in ones attitude.
Copyright 2012 The New Indian Express. All rights reserved.