Pay-back and pay-offs

A job in senior positions in government usually tempts private sector professionals and economists because it adds significant heft to their resumes. When it comes to remuneration, however, a government job can by no means be considered a lucrative offer. One such professional, who joined the government in a senior position recently, joked that the massive cut he had had to take in his salary made him wonder whether it was time to start commuting by auto-rickshaws because he was hard put to afford a car on a package of Rs 50,000.