Forget future Lok Pal scrutiny, it’s fear of media opprobrium that stalks the corridors of the government right now. When a journalist approached a joint secretary with a query about money the government owes various industries to which it pays subsidies, the latter agreed that it was an issue and then took instant action. He called in his deputy and, in front of the journalist, instructed him to solve the issue the next day, saying it would otherwise become a “burning issue” and put the government under unnecessary pressure.
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