To IB or not to IB

North Block is in pre-Budget mode but the usual annual restrictions on entry have become stricter than ever. It’s not just journalists and outsiders but also finance ministry officials who are doubly wary of Intelligence Bureau (IB) sleuths. Their phone lines are tapped and movements watched, all in the interest of ensuring that no Budget proposal is leaked. This year, some officers were shaken when they received messages and phone calls from the IB wanting to verify some “undisclosed” information about their families and relatives. The result is that many of them are worried about even going out for tea breaks with colleagues in other departments and risking the IB’s attentions.