Despite the pressures of elections in five states and a hectic schedule before the Budget session, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee took some time out to present Presidential Awards to the officers of Customs and Central Excise. Given that there were 35 awardees, it was inevitable that the enthusiasm of the audience faded as the event progressed. Then, as the name of the penultimate award-winner was announced, the audience suddenly perked up and applauded long and loudly. That’s because the award was not for a revenue officer, but for a driver with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, who won the award for his exemplary service.
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