Man works for 14 years after retirement without salary

“He feels ill if he stops working. Once, we had stopped him from following his gruelling routine. But he started feeling depressed and started developing cardiac problems and so we have allowed him to work so he stays fit and happy,” said his wife, Suniti.

The health centre authorities and staff say that Bhadra is too good a worker to miss out and has become indispensable for the smooth functioning of the institution.

“We have become dependent on him after his retirement. If he doesn’t come for a day day we face a lot of problems. He is indispensable,” Medical officer of Jagatballavpur Block Health Centre, Rupanjali Biswas said.

Asked whether he wanted to be get paid for his services to the government, Bhadra said “I get my pension and that is enough for me and so why should I ask for more?”

He joined 35 years ago as a Group D employee at the Health Centre at a monthly salary of Rs 90.

Bhadra was transferred to other health centres in the district during his service and after his retirement, he returned to the place where he began his work life.

He now gets a monthly pension of Rs 2700.

Bhadra’s work is to take down names of outdoor patients and clean up rooms before the arrival of doctors. He also provides primary treatment to the patients and even arranges food for doctors.

“He has become so much a part of our health centre that we can never think of him as an outsider. When he doesn’t come it becomes a problem for us because none have been assigned the work he does,” said one employee.

Bhadra, on his part, said “I want to continue to work till I die.” With two sons and wife Suniti, Bhadra leads a peaceful life at the home he built at Mondalpara in Amta, a remote area in the district.