I am a 26 year old; working in HPCL, a Maharatna PSU since last 3 years. My in-hand salary is approx. Rs 70,000 per month and I get good perks & allowances in addition to this salary. but, Am I happy? I would have to explain a few things and try to derive an answer to this question out of it.
I am from a lower middle class family. I wanted to clear UPSC CSE but somehow, ended up doing Engineering in Mechanical stream from a private college in Chhattisgarh (graduated in 2015) and as it happens in most of these colleges; I was left unemployed with just a degree in my hand. I wanted to prepare for UPSC with Mechanical Engg as my optional, so I started preparing for GATE, ESE. My plan was to get a Job first and then keep preparing for CSE. I failed to clear ESE but got good rank in GATE and secured a job in HPCL.
My first posting was in Purnea Bihar as a PMUY Officer. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna (PMUY) was a government scheme for providing free LPG connection to 8 crore BPL families. My job was to oversee its implementation. I was hoping to continue my preparations for CSE but damn! I was so wrong. it was no regular government job; It was an office job, field job, clerical job, customer support service job & ‘anything your boss needs you to do’ job. There was so much work pressure that I hardly even touched books for months. I thought maybe this rush is temporary and It will be over soon. Then one of my seniors resigns and they assign me at his place, which is my current designation - LPG sales officer - Purnea LPG Sales Area (consisting 5 districts - Araria, Katihar, Kishanganj, Madhepura & Purnea). Sales is one of the most demanding positions in HPCL and i had to make a good reputation as a new officer, so I gave my everything to the job. I worked overtime, tried to learn new things related to my job, did field visits and everything to get good at my job. I had to compromise with my hobbies (watching movies/series/anime) as I never had enough free time and I completely abandoned my CSE preparations. At later stage, I even tried a few times to start my preparations again but eventually got tired of it and gave in to the work pressure.
Having said all that, my job is still among the highest paid government jobs with best perks and allowances. It is a respectable job and I have made good social contacts via this job too. I was able to buy my dream bike within 6 month of joining and bought my car after 18 months in the job. I flaunt the latest iPhone and wear branded clothes. I am able to take care of my family and don’t have to worry about budget when I eat in any restaurant. There was a time when I had to walk to save bus fare but now I drive my car just to buy groceries.
I really worked hard to get here and i still work hard to fulfill my responsibilities without fail. I wanted to serve my nation by joining Indian army and even attended 3 SSB interviews but got rejected. But, while working here too, I found out that I may be able to help people and do some good for the nation. when I joined here, the LPG penetration was below 15% in my area and currently It is above 70%. More than 6 lakh consumers received LPG connections in my Sales area during last 3 years from HPCL. My work was also recognized at the Highest level and I got awarded for releasing highest number of PMUY connection by none other than Hon. Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas - Shri Dharmendra Pradhan (pic attached).
I do believe now that you don’t have to be in Army or be an IAS officer to serve the nation. Any person whether a postman, a banker, a policeman or even a businessman; if he is doing his duties with complete honesty, he is serving the nation.
Even after all these, I can’t really say that I am happy. There is an old saying about the salary of Government officers - “More than you need, less than you want”. But, it is not about money, status or job satisfaction. I may be satisfied but I am not Happy, I just feel hollow inside because I’ve deserted my dream of clearing CSE. But, I know i am doing better than most of my colleagues and I am optimistic; I still have few good years left and I hope to find a way to restart my preparations.
To all the dreamers - “Don’t abandon your dreams”
-Anurag Kumar
How Many Years to Invest for Government Job Preparation ?
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