“In recent years the problem central government employees losing out on their regular 22 hours of sleep has assumed alarming proportions and that has naturally demoralized them and you’ll agree, a demoralized bureaucracy can’t be expected to effectively implement development schemes to benefit the common man.”

As you know, most government offices now open at 11 in the morning and that means that our employees will have to get up as early as 10:30 a.m. in order to be at their desk by 11 sharp.

“That’s true”, I agreed, “But in view of the parlous resources position, is there a justification for a sleeping allowance at this juncture?”

 “Look”, snapped the Deputy Secretary irritably- it was obvious that he was losing out on his regular hours of sleep,” you haven’t quite grasped the magnitude of the problem and let me cite a few instances.

“As you know, most government offices now open at 11 in the morning and that means that our employees will have to get up as early as 10:30 a.m. in order to be at their desk by 11 sharp. Just imagine the amount of sleep they’re losing sleep by having to get up at an ungodly hour of 10:30 in the morning!”

“Terrible”, I said.

“The lot of government employees is unenviable”, said the Deputy Secretary, “I’ve here a memorandum from the All-India Confederation of Case Workers and Pen-Pushers and it says, inter alia, that its member nerves are shot to pieces because of the incessant chatter in the adjoining cabins, the sound of visitors aimlessly tramping around the corridors and the clutter of coffee and tea cups in the staff canteens and as a result they have had to reduce the duration of their afternoon siesta from 3 hours to just 2 hours and 59 minutes. Just imagine the amount of sleep they’re losing in the bargain!”

“Atrocious”, I said.

“You’ve seen only the tip of the iceberg”, said the Deputy Secretary rubbing his sleepy eyes, “because of austerity measures and belt-tightening all round, our staff canteens are being forced to buy inferior quality coffee powder and tea leaves and our employees have no option but to drink watery coffee and tea and then what happens? They stay wide awake during working hours, losing out on their precious sleep!”

“The situation is alarming”, I said sympathetically, “and I’m surprised that public administration in the country hasn’t collapsed, what with government employees losing out on their sleep right, left and centre and I’m sorry I questioned the need for sanctioning a sleeping allowance to government employees. I can see now that no one deserves it more, but one last question.
 
The Reserve Bank, in its latest report has said that 2012-13 was a ‘sleeping’ year for the Indian economy. Is there any possibility that the Indian economy will get a sleeping allowance?”

“No possibility whatsoever”, said the Deputy Secretary, “the country’s economy sleeping is none of you concern.”
“So I thought”, I said.