Delhi Jal Board

This is again one of those posts where I find another government department not responding to my queries. I think we seriously need to improve these departments otherwise nobody would be able to use their services. This time it is "Delhi Jal Board". No matter how many websites are there on web of these government departments, none of them works. You cannot find the "contact us" page working.

There is a customer cell number available on Delhi Jal Board website of one Mr. XYZ who is heading the Delhi Jal Board office of my area. When I tried calling on that number, to my surprise, I find a girl on the other side. I asked her is this Mr. XYZ's number? She said yes. I asked her can I talk to him? She said that he has forgotten his number at home. Wow, that is great, Mr. XYZ has forgotten the government provided cell phone number at home to be used by her daughter. I asked her to provide me his office number. Her reply was "I don't know". Daughter doesn't know her dad's office phone number. What kind of family is this? I really wanted to call on this number again at night to ask this person that why this cell phone number is at home. But I don't want to get into that.

There were other numbers as well on the website but nobody picked it. Then I went to the Delhi Government website and there I find helpdesk for Delhi Jal Board. There is a number mentioned of one Mr. ABC (Nodal Officer). I called on that landline number, nobody picked for the first time. Then I again tried the number, Mr. ABC picked up the phone and I told him all my concerns. He replied that I do not look into this matter, I am from drainage department. Mr. ABC please go and drown yourself in drainage. I hope somebody from Delhi Jal Board read this and do something about it.

Occupy Everything

The hottest trend around the world is to occupy various stock exchanges of major financial cities. You will hear so many of it like "Occupy Sydney", "Occupy Tokyo", "Occupy Rome", etc. It all started with "Occupy Wall street", where protestors marched in New York. The protesters set up camp in Zuccotti Park. Locals and protesters call it "Liberty Plaza", the park's former name. I am writing this post assuming that you all know what is this protest all about. Well if everybody is in debt, then who is the creditor.

I think it is people who have to change their spending habits. First of all I am against paycheck every week. It is not a case in India, where people used to wait for a salary to come and then they allocate their budgets, plan their spending and save some amount of money every month. This way they do not panic at the time of crisis. In USA and other European countries you get paycheck at the start of the weekend. When you get the money, you always tend to spend and then you don't have any savings left. Therefore, government has to give salaries at the end of the month only so that people can plan their spending accordingly. This way people will develop the habit of less spending and also they will save some amount of money.

One cannot just go on the streets and protest against companies or governments. The salaries in US and Europe is more as compare to India but still they cannot save. I know that things do not come cheap but when you know this, why don't you plan your money outflow. When you have money on Friday, why do you always want to eat at the restaurants, why do you want to go to pubs and discs every weekend. Learn from a common man in India. How he manages the whole income which he gets once in a month?

I think, therefore I blog

 
There are many bloggers who just start their blog and then forget about it. There are 2-3 posts and then the blog lost its continuity. Time is the most important factor. Many people do not get time to write. They start their first post and promises to continue it. But as the time goes by, they tend to drift away from this. I always enjoyed blogging as it gives me some way to express my views on various subjects. Though facebook and twitter also serves this purpose but that is amongst your known friends only. Blogging gives entire world to view your views. Also facebook and twitter gives you limited space. Here you can write as much as you want.

I want to continue this blogging stuff for the long time. Now it has become my hobby and I do not want to leave this. I always look out for subjects and topics that I can write about. I get upset and uncomfortable when I do not write new posts in an week or so. Though it had happened quite a few times but I always make up for that by writing more and more posts. I feel relief after writing posts. I have observed that commenting on other people blogs motivates them to write more. This I have observed from few of the bloggers who I am following. Please continue to comment on my posts also so that I continue to write more. As I am writing this post, I have something in mind to write about. Wait for new post!

New Car

Finally, I bought myself a new car. Here is the pic!!
I10 Magna 1.2 Kappa 2 Carbon Grey

Private and Public Sector Banks in India - Difference

Today I experienced two different situations. I have an account both in private sector bank and public sector bank. Private sector bank is not that large as compare to public sector bank. Ok this is not making sense. Let me give the names. I have account in Standard Chartered Bank and State Bank of India. Now people in India knows which bank is bigger. For those who do not know, Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) does not have large number of branches as compare to State Bank of India (SBI) and SBI is one of the oldest bank in India.

Scene 1 - Visit to SCB

I entered Bank, and found the temperature pretty cool as compared to outside. It was a hot day. It is a two floor branch in which ground floor is for the customer care and first floor is for all the transactions. I find a lovely looking lady sitting on her seat working on something and there was a plate in which "May I help you" is written. So I went to her and

Me: Excuse me!
Lady: Yes
Me: I want my Bank Statement for the last 6 months.
Lady: Sir, you need to write the application. Here is the page, have a seat and write it.
(I wrote the application and gave it to her)
Me: Here is the application. (I saw her concentrating on something seems to be very important)
Lady: Sir, I am counting something very important. Can you give me 2 minutes?
Me: Ya sure, take your time.
(After 5 minutes)
Lady: Sorry for the delay Sir.
Me: Its Ok!
(She entered my account number and gave the print command)
Lady: Sir, our printer is upstairs. You can collect your statement from there and get it stamped from me.
Me: Ok
(I went upstairs and got the printouts. I also need to submit some cash into the account, so I completed the transaction. I went downstairs again, got my statement stamped and signed. I thanked her and came outside.)

Scene 2 - Visit to SBI (The great Indian bank for common people)

I entered the branch and it was chaos all over. There was no AC working. I was lost and couldn't understand whom should I ask for bank statement. I found a man sitting on his chair working on something. His age seems to be more than 45.

Me: Uncle Ji! (Ji is for respect given to people who are above our age)
Man: (Without saying anything)
Me: Mujhe apni bank statement chahiye last 6 months ki. (I want my bank statement for the last 6 months)
Man: Account kis branch mei hai? (Which is your home branch?)
Me: Vasant Kunj
Man: Wahin se milegi. (Go there, you will get it from there only. The man must be aware that this Vasant Kunj branch is atleast 25 km far)
Me: (in my mind): WTF!
(I thought of asking the same thing to the bank manager who was sitting some seats away busy in discussion with somebody)

I tried to enter his cabin. I thought may be he will ask me about the problem. But he ignored. My friend who was with me from the start said: Yahaan kuch nahi hone waala. Chal..(This place is useless. Lets go!) I agreed and we came out. I cursed the public sector banks and said to my friend, that is why these banks are so backward.

There is a bank whose ambiance was superb and services are world class. Even though I do not have my account on this branch but they gave me my bank statement. And then there is this bank who does not care about their customers. Its only our last choice that we have to open accounts in these banks so as to approve different services. These public sector banks really sucks!!

Steve Jobs is dead...

The man who is a idol to many technology freak people is no more. He was simply a genius. One can compare him to great Einstein or Newton. He has so many patents to his name. He has that instinct where he is unique from everybody else. His mind is always busy in creating something new and innovative for people. That his why his company has created some of the revolutionary products like Ipod, Iphone and Ipad.

For everybody he is some kind of legend, but he is very good human being. In his last 2-3 years, he drew a salary of only 1 dollar. He will always be remembered by everybody.

Now he has died, I should not say this but one thing always remained in my mind is that he created products for rich people only. In America, everybody can afford if but in India, the products are very costly. When Ipod was launched common man in India couldn't afford it. Similarly Iphone, the current market price of an Iphone in India is above Rs. 40000. And now same with Ipad. Have you seen any common man in India listening to Ipod when it was launched or now Iphone or Ipad.

Though he is a genius and had done some remarkable job in the industry but the products his company made is not for the common people.

Day of Coincidences

I will never ever forget this day (sometime in September) when I experienced something special. It was a day with full of coincidences. I do not know I should call it coincidences or faith as I am not that religious. But that day I observed that there is some invisible power helping each and everybody on this earth.

Background

I was traveling in a Delhi metro as usual for my office. I boarded the metro and after sometime I got the seat. There is this guy sitting next to me with a baby in his arms and 3 bags on the floor. I think he was coming from New Delhi Railway Station. The thought came into my mind that how will this guy get down from metro with that much luggage. So I remain sitting till everybody board off the metro and offered my help to take his luggage. We went downstairs. I was taking care of his luggage while he has a baby. After reaching the gate, he thanked me and took auto rickshaw and went.

Events Started

1. We used to wait for our three wheeler who picks office staff. So I was waiting for the three wheeler with my friend. I was just telling my friend, about a lady who used to come daily and today she hasn't come till now. He was also noticing that lady daily. Just as we were discussing this, we saw her and told each other about the coincidence. So this is first.

2. There is a advertisement on this three wheeler from which we used to go from Metro Station to our office of some college which provided degrees in MBA, BBA, etc. So I was telling my friend that there is another three wheeler which has this similar advertisement. Now what we saw, we got amazed. That three wheeler has just entered the road on which we were going from a turn. I told my friend about the incident in a metro and he told me that you have helped somebody, therefore, what you are saying today, it is happening.

I agreed to him and said that OK, if that is the case I should speak something good. I told him just casually that we will get the appraisal today in office. It is a mid year of a financial year and there was no chance of it.

3. We entered office, got busy into our work and forgot the topic. After lunch, I came back to my seat and saw my friend's skype message. It said "Bhai tumne to kamaal kar diya" (Bro, you have done a wonder). I asked him with a question mark that for what. Then I checked my mail and saw the mail from HR and there was a appraisal form attached in the mail.