Laboured pains

There are no signs of labour reforms, several labour Bills have been gathering dust and some labour ministry proposals have been turned down by the finance ministry. But despite such frustrations, the lights don't go off at Shram Shakti Bhawan till late at night. Despite an octogenarian minister, Sis Ram Ola, taking charge, there seems to be no respite for the bureaucrats and their staff in the ministry. So much so that Labour Secretary Mrutyunjay Sarangi, who has been pushing some of the proposals for reforms in provident fund and other areas despite a cold response from North Block, even got an ultimatum from his wife. Sarangi who retires in a couple of months, was recently heard joking at a farewell function in the ministry that his wife has warned him of dire consequences for the long hours he's been keeping. He said she told him that after he retired he would have to spend the entire day in the neighbourhood park and would be allowed home only late at night. The officer from Orissa laughed it away but many others in the ministry were not so comfortable about their own nightly toil.