The Hindu : New Delhi News : Inside Delhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 11, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Inside Delhi

CEOs under stress

Industry leaders or Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) suffer quite a bit of stress because of severe business competition and most do not even consult their doctors but prefer to read books and spend time with their families to cope with work pressure, a new business barometer survey carried out by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has found.

Over 66 per cent of the 270 CEOs and Chairman-cum-Managing Directors contacted by the survey stated that they did come under stress with mental pressure being the severest of the trouble spots. As many as 22 per cent said the stress level was moderate, while 11 per cent said it was too much.

About 70 per cent of the industry leaders coping with work pressure suffer more of mental stress than physical strain. Paradoxically, not many of the corporate honchos prefer to consult their doctors unless they have symptoms of diabetes, blood pressure, indigestion and insomnia.

Severe business competition puts the maximum pressure on the company heads who are always looking for "innovative" ways to stay ahead of their rivals. As many as 77 per cent of the respondents said severe business competition was the main culprit that was adding to the pressure. Staff constraint, work-related deadlines and business travelling were the other three main reasons for the stress level of CEOs.

"Doing business in India under severe competitive conditions is not easy. It tests your physical and mental stamina," said ASSOCHAM president Anil K. Agarwal while commenting on the findings of the survey.

Madhur Tankha

Railways' ways

For over two decades Vedgiri Acharya has been petitioning senior Indian Railway officials seeking a job on compensatory grounds after his father died while serving as a carpenter at a Central Railway workshop in Mumbai.

However, all his efforts, which include legal recourse, have proved futile. "While railway officials have been claiming that I am a fake, the fact is that some vested interests in the Central Railway have changed the official token number allotted to my father in the official files to complicate my case," alleges Mr. Acharya.

And that is not all. According to him, his mother has so far not received the entire Provident Fund dues and is not getting the full pension. "What she is getting is a monthly ex-gratia of Rs.1,000. This is how the wife of an ex-railway employee has been treated for nearly 40 years now!" claimed Mr. Acharya, who was only two years old when he lost his father.

He has not only petitioned all high-ranking officials of the Indian Railways but also written to Presidents, Prime Ministers and seven Railway Ministers besides staging "satyagrahas" in Delhi to attract their attention. And now he is back in the Capital staging a sit-in at Jantar Mantar for the past six days.

Though he has been asked to meet Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's personal staff to narrate his problem, he is adamant on meeting the Minister, because he thinks only Mr. Prasad can now help him.

Sandeep Joshi

Metro effect

Delhi Metro has definitely made life easier for thousands of people in the Capital by providing them a pollution-free, cost-effective and swift mode of transport in the Capital. Also, it has opened up new avenues for cycle-rickshaw operators.

Initially when Metro Rail became functional, passengers were discouraged from using it because of the absence of a proper feeder service. Even those living a little distance away from the Metro stations preferred to travel by auto-rickshaws in order to avoid a long walk to the station. Gradually this vacuum was filled up by cycle-rickshaws that became the most popular feeder service along Metro routes.

It is almost three-and-a-half years now and one can see long queues of cycle-rickshaws waiting for passengers outside every Metro station. A sharp increase in Metro users has also meant an increase in earnings for cycle-rickshaw pullers.

"We do not have to keep looking for passengers. Most of us now prefer to wait for them outside the Metro stations. As we are sure of getting passengers, we charge reasonable rates," said a cycle-rickshaw puller outside Karol Bagh Metro station.

-- Devesh K. Pandey

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi

News Update

Stories in this Section