Change is the only constant in our lives and it is very necessary. There are certain incidents in our life that shapes our life and personality. One such incident in the life of Pritilata Mandal changed her forever. She was just a regular housewife till 2005 when her husband passed away and she had to take all the responsibilities. Pritilata’s husband was a station master at the Bauria station who passed away in 2004. After her husband’s death, she got a job as a mechanic in Santragachi’s New Composite Grid Coaching Maintenance Depot of South Eastern Railway.
Pritilata is in charge of two long-distance premiere express trains, Howrah-Chennai Coromandal Express, and the Howrah-Bangalore Yesvantpur Express. There were no vacancies available in the offices and hence she was posted in the field. Pritilata said that initially she didn’t like working in confined places under the trains to check for faults. But with time she has emerged as an expert and now she can tell with just one glance whether everything is all right with a component or not. Pritilata checks and repairs under gear super AC express, changes break-block, pull alarm chain. Her seniors are in all praise of her work. The in charge of maintenance says that how everything is rechecked if Pritilata speaks of any defect and most of the time she is right. Very small and minute cracks undetectable to the human eye are successfully detected by Pritilata. She works from 7 am in the morning till 3 pm in the afternoon. Her dedication and devotion towards her work are incomparable. Pritilata’s work has become her passion now, after a long day of work she returns home to her 15-year-old daughter and lead the life of a homemaker.
