When Acts take a toll

Bureaucrats are rarely excited by government schemes. So, when a senior government officer in Rajasthan was asked on how the ambitious food security Act was being implemented in his state, he refused to answer, and stated he was not in an examination hall. Instead, he complained that because of the Act, his health was deteriorating. On being questioned how, the officer replied, "My morning and evening walks have stopped ever since the state government brought an Ordinance to implement the provisions of this Bill." The Rajasthan government, with an eye on the upcoming Assembly elections, introduced an Ordinance in August. Since then, the officer said, he had to sit in office from eight-to-eight.