progressive banker:

5. Training and Postings (1977)

5.1 The bank later posted me to Secunderabad, ADB Anantapur, Kakinada, Visakhapatnam branches and LHO-Hyderabad for training during the two-year period 1977-79. Secunderabad is not new to me and was a large branch. But suddenly some Officers of our batch were deputed to Kanchikacherla branch in Krishna Dist then, to serve the Cyclones 1977/78 which affected Tobacco farmers and later to STC Alipore, Kolkata for Training. The duration was for about a month. I, TVLN Chary, Sreedhar and others were deputed to Kolkata. Besides Banking, we underwent training by eminent faculty on topics / case-based sessions covering vigilance, management and behavioral science topics also.

5.2 It was the best time of my career and bachelor life going to places and learning new skills in banking like Personal / Commercial / Agri / SSI & SB / Foreign Exchange as also Administration. Experience at ADB Ananthapur was very different and memorable under Mr N. Ganapathy, BM a native of the place and Dr T Ashok Nair, RDO belonging to Secunderabad. My only stint in Rayalaseema rural banking was impacting on me. As an Officer Grade-I on probation, I exercised passing powers and involved myself in the Annual Closing work in December 1978 as also at a crucial time of shifting of premises.

5.3 My fourth branch training was divided between Kakinada and Vizag. In Kakinada, I worked under Sri A. Sankar; met my old friend Bodi Radhakrishna and Mr V Jaganmohan, PO of Hyderabad. I also met Mr Vuriti Jeevan and others in this branch. Next in Vizag, I reported to Mr YRK again to learn a lot as also reunion with batchmates Sreedhar, Rammohan, BSR Prasad and others. After LHO training as last leg and upon confirmation on 31st Aug 1979 as OG I, I was deputed for two months to Vijayawada, Gandhinagar, Moghalrajapuram, Masulipatnam and other Krishna Dist branches for Deposit Mobilisation work awaiting final / regular posting.

Myself, K Rammohan Rao and Pratap in Mysore in 1978

Myself with Prasad, Rammohan and Pratap in Lepakshi in 1978

5.4 My elder brother was married in mid-1979 and was working in Andhra Bank in AP Branches. I was posted in November 1979 as Accountant at ADB Parkal in Warangal Dist, Telangana where I worked with Mr Sailanath, BM and S/Sri Govind Reddy and P. Somasekhar, RDOs. I handled Annual Closing in Dec 1979, faced a Central Office Inspection and was transferred to Masulipatnam Branch in Krishna Dt, as Accountant in Feb'80. I relieved my senior Mr Chintha Gangadhara Sastry, from whom I learnt a lot. Mr V Ramakrishna and Mr KV Prasada Rao were Branch Managers during that time. Branch had Personal and SSI&SB Divisions and was an old large establishment. The branch premises was of British times and handles Dist HQ / Treasury business but had some typical union rivalry among the staff members. It was a very challenging and learning experience to work in this branch for one year.

Myself with Murali Mohan Reddy, SW John, Bal Reddy, Purnachandra Rao,

CP Prakash and staff @SBI ADB Jangaon, Warangal Dt in 1981

5.5 I was transferred to ADB Jangaon, Warangal Dist as Field Officer in Feb 1981. Jangaon - Wikipedia. Here, I was working with Mr SW John, BM and others. Mr P K Reddy of Secunderabad was posted at the same time as a Field Officer for rural lending. It was 85 KMs away from Hyderabad City and was much sought-after branch for the Hyderabad city staff so that every day they can commute. I vividly remember how a sincere Officer of the branch, commuting every day, went through hell in his personal / family life went to the extent of resigning from the job. I carefully resolved the crisis then.

5.6 However, state of affairs at the branch were in an unsatisfactory stage, and I had to face an awkward Central Office Inspection while officiating as Branch Manager. Village surveys and adoption was imperfect, credit appraisal / sanction / documentation / disbursement / inspection / insurance / recovery and balancing of books of accounts were not in bad shape. Before joining at the branch, I got an opportunity to appear for Junior IBOs (for foreign branches) selection process, thanks to the recommendation by Sri N Ganapathy, Dy Personnel Manager, LHO but I was unlucky. Mr Raja Reddy replaced Mr John as Manager, but things did not improve. It was a frustrating experience in my career.

With B Ramdhan, Dr Md Sajid Ali, Mallikarjuna Rao, Hanumantha Rao and

Staff @SBI Wardhannapet ADB, Warangal in 1984

5.7 In Feb 1982, I was posted as first BM of ADB Wardhannapet, Warangal, which was about 30 KMs away from Warangal. Wardhannapet - Wikipedia. Even though the Branch was located on the highway from Warangal to Khammam, the basic facilities like housing, drinking water, toilet facility, telephones or transportation were at the least eventhough it was a Taluq / Block Head Quarters. Local residents and customers supported us affectionately. Branch of SBH was already serving the area, and was headed by Mr Sekhar, who became friendly with us. Also, the dedicated service rendered by Dr Sajid Ali, RDO, Mallikarjuna Rao, Head Cashier, Ramdhan, Hanumantha Rao, Janakiramaiah and others (in the picture above) in rural lending and administration is laudable.

5.7.1 I experienced many challenges in personal life and career at this branch till April 1984. In 1982, my sister Jyothi was married to Dr I Sankara Rao, a PhD in Nuclear Chemistry from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam. I got married to Ms Ganga Patnaik of Bhubaneswar in March 1983 and we had a memorable living experience at this semi-urban location without proper housing, water, transport facilities.

5.8 The monsoon experience that year was deadly when the nearby Vagu (stream) overflowed. Wardhannapet witnessed very heavy rains and the bridge on highway over the vagu collapsed affecting regular road traffic. Telephone lines were also affected severely. Unfortunately, I met with a serious scooter accident then while on duty and was unable to walk. I could not get relief or leave replacement. On Sundays, I used to cross the vagu with some help and go to Warangal for my treatment. Please click to read a brief profile of Smt Ganga Prasad, on page no.18 of LEKHA Lekha_July_2022_ (1).pdf.

With my wife Ganga Prasad in 2021 at Nandi Woods Apartments

5.9 After a brief stint of six months in Region II, RO, Hyderabad under Sri Bandaru Ramachandra Rao, RM / AGM, I was posted to Corporate Centre / Central Office, Nariman Point, Mumbai, but again in Agricultural Banking Department. State Bank of India - Wikipedia On October 31, 1984, Smt Indira Gandhi, then PM of India was assassinated in New Delhi by her own Security Guard. Whole country was shocked and was in deep mourning. Around same time, I was relieved from SBI Hyderabad RO and travelled along with Ganga and transported my household items.

5.9.1 I reported to Sri S Chintamani, Chief Officer (belongs to Patna Circle) and Sri MS Yadava, Additional Chief Officer (belongs to Bhopal Circle). Both were senior Officials from whom I learnt a lot. Subsequently, I worked with Sri N K Jain, Chief Officer / Dy General Manager (also from Bhopal Circle) and had different experience / relationship. Mr Jain was kind enough to be friendly even after I quit the bank and visited us in Manipal and Bangalore.

5.10 Bank provided decent 2 bedroom plus residential furnished accommodation in Malad (West), which is about 30 KMs away from Nariman Point, Mumbai. Malad - Wikipedia There was hardly any telephone facility to us in those days. Transportation was either by Local Train or Contract Bus. Commuting to Office and back every day is a different experience. And then, work culture in Corp Centre, is entirely new and different to me compared to the highly dedicated and challenging work at branches and in South India.

5.11 Thankfully, our batchmates Nayani Sreedhar, BSR Prasad, K Ramamohana Rao, TVLN Chary and others like T Appa Rao, PP Krishna Rao, BVV Rajeswara Rao, G. Sambasiva Rao, TVS Murthy, N Ramesh, S Narasimha Rao and many others also stayed in the residential flats in Malad and elsewhere. Many more senior officials of Hyderabad like S/Shri Sitaramam, NN Prabhakara Rao, Smt Rama Devi, C Sundershyam, Nagabhushana Rao, Santhanakrishnan, DRK Patnaik, Mohd Yunus, B Ramachandra Rao, Y Radhakrishnan, and many others were also posted at Corp Office. It was rare and golden opportunity to learn administrative work. Interactions with cross section of colleagues from different Circles was a great learning.

5.12 Three promotions came in during my stay in Mumbai till November 1992. I was elevated to MM II in 1984 Merit Batch (released in 1986), MM III in 1985 (Special Batch) and SMG IV in 1990 before I was transferred as Chief Manager, Sangareddy Branch near Hyderabad on my revert to Circle. One more opportunity came in for selection as IBOs during the stay but could not be converted. On the personal front, my daughter Sravanthi was born on 10th July 1985 in Vizag and I could also build / buy a flat in Ashok Nagar, Hyderabad with the help of my colleague and batchmate TVLN Chary in 1989 with an Individual Housing Loan at SBI, Vidyanagar Branch, Hyderabad. Ganga also started working as a Chemistry Teacher in a nearby School in Goregaon (W) handling high school students.

5.13 My father late Sri Shanmukha Rao retired from service as Deputy Director (Planning), M&H Dept., Govt of AP in August 1989 and was appointed as Secretary to the newly created AP Vaidya Vidhana Parishad for a period of one year. Unfortunately, he died due to ill-health in June 1990, while I was working in Mumbai. My friend Mr N Hanumantha Rao, took all care of my sick father in his last days. With no frequent airlines facility or trains connecting even Hyderabad, I travelled by a private bus service for about 24 hours to reach for a last darshan and perform his last rites. My elder brother was able to arrive at a short notice from within the State and my sister could also come along with her husband (my brother-in-law, Dr Sankara Rao) while youngest Babu was at home only.