It is tough writing about someone whom you have not even met, forget knowing personally. All you know about that person is from someone else who knows him and then it is upto you whether to believe it or not. In this case, I guess I could take my wife's views as the truth because I know that she is not one to speak what she is not sure of .
The person in question here is Dr.Jacob Thomas I.P.S., the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Kerala Civil Supplies Corporation (better known as Supplyco). The Supplyco website does not give any details about his academic qualifications except for the "Dr" prefix indicating a doctorate (I heard he has more than one doctorate) and is an I.P.S. I do know that he is an Agriculture graduate. Don't know his post-graduate specialisation though.
It would be in order to give a brief description of Supplyco also, which he heads. Quoting from their website "http://www.supplycokerala.com/"
"Supplyco is the gateway for the 30 million people of the State of Kerala, assuring the much
needed food security in a substantive style by supplying life's essentials and reaching out to the
rural-poor and the urban-rich alike. Incorporated in 1974 as a fully owned Government
Company with an authorised capital of 15 crores, to meet the limited objectives of regulating
the market price of essential commodities at reasonable prices."
OK, the above is the official description about Supplyco. To know what Supplyco means to the public in Kerala, all you need to do is tell someone that you are working at Supplyco. If that person has heard of Supplyco, I can guarantee that the response will be something like, "Really. Then you must be making a lot of money on the side. Lucky you."
Coming back to the CMD, what makes him special or any better than the other bureaucrats manning other government organisations in India ? Actually, he cannot be compared to any usual bureaucrat due to his various qualities like integrity, dedication to work, broad outlook, an eye for technology and involvement in social work. If I remember right, it is maybe a little more than a year since he took over as CMD of Supplyco.
And it has been more than two years since my wife started her career with Supplyco as a Junior Manager (Quality Control). She was part of a group of 7 young guys/girls recruited by the Kerala Govt to the post of J.M. (Q.C). Their role in Supplyco includes inspecting the quality of food items (rice, pulses, spices etc) procured by Supplyco to sell at their stores and at the local public distribution system (PDS) outlets which are also known as ration shops.
I have met these group of young people who were excited about getting a job (a Govt. job does not come easy in India) and more importantly wanted to do it as per the rules. But then, they were not aware of how things worked at Supplyco at that time. Corruption was rampant, the suppliers were bribing everyone that mattered and would supply inferior stuff which was either not as per the specifications or in some cases even spoilt. Still, they would get their bills cleared on time and were minting money like crazy.
The new batch of managers found themselves in an unenviable position. They had only two options - either get corrupted and face the consequences at a later stage OR work with integrity and face the wrath of not only the suppliers but also their managers, who would bombard them with memos, suspensions and enquiries for doing their job the way they were supposed to do.
It is a good sign for India and a brownie point for today's youth that these young people decided that they would not get corrupted, come what may. Ofcourse taking a resolution is easy, but standing up to all kinds of pressure to hold on to that resolution is tough. There were cases where the supliers threatened them with official action if they rejected the sub-standard stuff. There were cases of managers verbally (never in written form) ordering them to accept stuff not meeting the specifications. And along the way came vigilance enquiries and memos for actually doing their job.
While it was tough for all of them, a couple of them were slowly loosing their morale and started deciding about quitting Supplyco. How fun is it to work in a place where you are actually punished for doing your job properly? One girl even put in her papers.
Luckily for them, the existing CMD was replaced with Dr.Jacob Thomas. Here was a person who meant what he talked, was aware of Supplyco's reputation and who was serious about what he was doing. For him, this was more than a job. He had a mission to achieve - to set things right at Supplyco and bring things back on track. Not an easy mission when you think of how prevalent corruption was in the organisation. But then, he is also no normal person.
He came in, took some time to study the existing situation and started putting in place new ideas to stem the rot. He had meetings with the managers, understood the pressure faced by them and promised them all his support in doing their job. He personally talked with the girl who quit and convinced her to come back to Supplyco. He changed the tender practices, made things more transparent and made people accountable. He streamlined the purchase department, which usually is the starting point of corruption in any organisation.
Ofcourse, he met with opposition along the way - from suppliers who felt the heat, from his own employees who were now denied the cut from suppliers that they had been used to for so long. Fortunately for him, he had the full confidence and backing of both the Chief Minister Mr.Oommen Chandy and the minister that he reports to, Mr. Adoor Prakash, which helped him in dealing with all kinds of opposition.
Under his management, Supplyco has set record turnover levels, never seen before in its history and employees can do their work with freedom. He is constantly looking for new avenues in Supplyco that he could make better, areas where computerisation would help and at how technology can help in making things better. He puts in long hours at work and it is the office gossip that his driver and Personal Assistant are two unlucky souls - they can't leave for the day before him, right ? :-)
And after all this, he finds time for his family (wife and two daughters), to keep fit and also for social work (he is part of a group that works for the developement of slum dwellers). If only we had more like him, India would accelerate from being a third world country to the best in the world.
Dr. Jacob Thomas I.P.S., we appreciate your selfless and true service to the nation.
The person in question here is Dr.Jacob Thomas I.P.S., the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Kerala Civil Supplies Corporation (better known as Supplyco). The Supplyco website does not give any details about his academic qualifications except for the "Dr" prefix indicating a doctorate (I heard he has more than one doctorate) and is an I.P.S. I do know that he is an Agriculture graduate. Don't know his post-graduate specialisation though.
It would be in order to give a brief description of Supplyco also, which he heads. Quoting from their website "http://www.supplycokerala.com/"
"Supplyco is the gateway for the 30 million people of the State of Kerala, assuring the much
needed food security in a substantive style by supplying life's essentials and reaching out to the
rural-poor and the urban-rich alike. Incorporated in 1974 as a fully owned Government
Company with an authorised capital of 15 crores, to meet the limited objectives of regulating
the market price of essential commodities at reasonable prices."
OK, the above is the official description about Supplyco. To know what Supplyco means to the public in Kerala, all you need to do is tell someone that you are working at Supplyco. If that person has heard of Supplyco, I can guarantee that the response will be something like, "Really. Then you must be making a lot of money on the side. Lucky you."
Coming back to the CMD, what makes him special or any better than the other bureaucrats manning other government organisations in India ? Actually, he cannot be compared to any usual bureaucrat due to his various qualities like integrity, dedication to work, broad outlook, an eye for technology and involvement in social work. If I remember right, it is maybe a little more than a year since he took over as CMD of Supplyco.
And it has been more than two years since my wife started her career with Supplyco as a Junior Manager (Quality Control). She was part of a group of 7 young guys/girls recruited by the Kerala Govt to the post of J.M. (Q.C). Their role in Supplyco includes inspecting the quality of food items (rice, pulses, spices etc) procured by Supplyco to sell at their stores and at the local public distribution system (PDS) outlets which are also known as ration shops.
I have met these group of young people who were excited about getting a job (a Govt. job does not come easy in India) and more importantly wanted to do it as per the rules. But then, they were not aware of how things worked at Supplyco at that time. Corruption was rampant, the suppliers were bribing everyone that mattered and would supply inferior stuff which was either not as per the specifications or in some cases even spoilt. Still, they would get their bills cleared on time and were minting money like crazy.
The new batch of managers found themselves in an unenviable position. They had only two options - either get corrupted and face the consequences at a later stage OR work with integrity and face the wrath of not only the suppliers but also their managers, who would bombard them with memos, suspensions and enquiries for doing their job the way they were supposed to do.
It is a good sign for India and a brownie point for today's youth that these young people decided that they would not get corrupted, come what may. Ofcourse taking a resolution is easy, but standing up to all kinds of pressure to hold on to that resolution is tough. There were cases where the supliers threatened them with official action if they rejected the sub-standard stuff. There were cases of managers verbally (never in written form) ordering them to accept stuff not meeting the specifications. And along the way came vigilance enquiries and memos for actually doing their job.
While it was tough for all of them, a couple of them were slowly loosing their morale and started deciding about quitting Supplyco. How fun is it to work in a place where you are actually punished for doing your job properly? One girl even put in her papers.
Luckily for them, the existing CMD was replaced with Dr.Jacob Thomas. Here was a person who meant what he talked, was aware of Supplyco's reputation and who was serious about what he was doing. For him, this was more than a job. He had a mission to achieve - to set things right at Supplyco and bring things back on track. Not an easy mission when you think of how prevalent corruption was in the organisation. But then, he is also no normal person.
He came in, took some time to study the existing situation and started putting in place new ideas to stem the rot. He had meetings with the managers, understood the pressure faced by them and promised them all his support in doing their job. He personally talked with the girl who quit and convinced her to come back to Supplyco. He changed the tender practices, made things more transparent and made people accountable. He streamlined the purchase department, which usually is the starting point of corruption in any organisation.
Ofcourse, he met with opposition along the way - from suppliers who felt the heat, from his own employees who were now denied the cut from suppliers that they had been used to for so long. Fortunately for him, he had the full confidence and backing of both the Chief Minister Mr.Oommen Chandy and the minister that he reports to, Mr. Adoor Prakash, which helped him in dealing with all kinds of opposition.
Under his management, Supplyco has set record turnover levels, never seen before in its history and employees can do their work with freedom. He is constantly looking for new avenues in Supplyco that he could make better, areas where computerisation would help and at how technology can help in making things better. He puts in long hours at work and it is the office gossip that his driver and Personal Assistant are two unlucky souls - they can't leave for the day before him, right ? :-)
And after all this, he finds time for his family (wife and two daughters), to keep fit and also for social work (he is part of a group that works for the developement of slum dwellers). If only we had more like him, India would accelerate from being a third world country to the best in the world.
Dr. Jacob Thomas I.P.S., we appreciate your selfless and true service to the nation.
proud to say I'm an INDIAN.........
ReplyDeleteafter reading this
It is nice to see this blog. As of today what has happened. Where is the author.
ReplyDeleteMr. Jacob Thomas IPS was sacked. I think in January this year(or December last year?). It gained some media attention. But what so.
The 'anonymous' shall remain proud to be Indian. However, I, being a regular customer of Supplyco and a college lecturer was interested in the sudden changes that could be perceived then. I was happy that the public enterprise is going in the right direction. But what so.
Who is there to support him. Only powerless public among a few who are aware of the real situation. But to know the real situation is an onerous task even if one wishes so. Why? Because ordinary citizens are more involved in trivial matters. They also strive to thrive in this world by reaching to get their own rights viz., basic necessities. In between this struggle who has to provide them with the correct information. Sure, it is the elite political class especially in Kerala. Alas, what is the state of affairs of this political class in Kerala. Well. They are increasingly goaded by the hidden philosophy and principles of acquing more money. It would be worthy to note down that the great left politicians who want 'eradication of corruption' played the pivotal role in throwing out him. Many medias in that time had told about the connections between both the left and right in ousting him mercilessly. Actually, is he who was mercilessly stamped out. No and never. He is an IPS officer, who can very well prove himself and change another bad scenario into good. So the merciless attack was on the common people of the Kerala State. Please read the recent political developments in Kerala where corruption in different fields was highlighted. This would definitely give us an idea of how the recent political class has become classless. Even the left front who has the history of pro poor has proven to exist so but in words alone.
Then who should have had brought the issue to lime light. Yes it was the media. Did media play correct role. No. Why? May be because they have to protect their own interests. Or they were not knowing the actual situation. But are we so naive to assume that our elite media was not knowing the actual situation. No we are not. Media are interested in protecting only their own interests. Isn't it. I would even say that the media group that had then apparently supported Mr. Jacob Thomas IPS was doing so not because of their love for a corruption free Public distribution system. Instead they were doing that simply because somehow their larger interests were meeting with these.
Will the world ever change. May be. When will we change into a dignified society. God knows. Why these politicians are speaking about 'understanding the reality' now and then so as to highlight their stances to be correct in the existing circumstances. Doesn't they have any role in creating a real situation. In reality, isn't that our own actions lead to reality. Are our political class and the bureaucrats, to a lesser extent, so ignorant and short sighted. Yes. I feel so. This is an era where people initiate into politics as a career unlike our great past leaders who had dropped their career and entered into politics, raising voice against injustice and fighting brutalities. Then it was not politricks. Now, the political elite - even in the so much acclaimed educated Kerala - are the main perpetrators of injustice. What they all have to show off and cover up is nothing but their own hypocrisy. Can a Jacob Thomas uproot the rotted system alone. In order to achieve an egalitarian society we need a responsive youth that cannot be bend or mend by political, religious, class, race or any such affiliations. Instead we need, those who values human beings as human beings rather than manipulative objects and who loves their fellow beings, if we have to revolutionise ourselves into an egalitarian society.
viswanthan,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your comment on my post and more so your concern for the state in which India is today. I also share your helplessness in being unable to do much to change the scenario.
However, each of us, however powerless we might seem individually, can surely make a difference, if we try to ie. You being a college lecturer can actually do a lot. I have had the good fortune of having teachers who did not just teach stuff from the book, but also inculcated in me ethics and pride of being an Indian. I am sure you could also deviate occasionally from the textbooks to impart knowledge to your students which would make them a better human being.
I on my part would continue trying to bring out to the world gems like Dr.Jacob Thomas who are trying in their own way to make a difference. Apart from walking my talk.
Hoping for a better India.
Thanks,
Hi,
ReplyDeletemay i contribute something
Dr. Jacob Thomas IPS is an excellent personality. A really down to earth person.
He always stays away from publicity but keeps up his promises. He does rather than speak.
He is the master minder behind the well known project funded by European Union in Kerala, namely "Kerala Horticultural Development Project" (later renamed as "Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Kerala Limited" after coming into the direct control of Government).
He is a friend and is a patron for all the co workers and subordinate.
I can't write about him in a few words. This is not to flatter him.So I like to remain anonymous.
Dear friends, isn't it our responsibility to give Dr. Jacob Thomas his due creidt, although, he likes to stay away from publicity. I think it is becuase giving him the right publicity is required to motivate the less motivated commons.
So what can we do? Any idea?
I don't know
ReplyDeleteBut I am proud to say an Indian
http://www.hindu.com/pp/2007/08/18/stories/2007081850340100.htm
ReplyDeleteWherever Dr Jacob Thomas has gone, he has totally revamped and brought good. He is one of those lights that shone. If only there were more officers like him.
ReplyDelete