Manjit had taken two tiered AC (2AC, for short) by train. Had he gone by the First Class, no questions would have been raised and this note would not have been necessary. He had gone by 2AC and therefore Konkoje refused to admit his travel bill

Asked specifically -- of course on the file -- Konkoje clarified that Manjit, by virtue of his relevance to the Department, was entitled to go only by First Class and not by 2AC

Was 2AC was senior to First Class in the hierarchy -- I had no idea. "Look, I have permitted Manjit to travel by 2AC, as his GM", I told Konkoje, " and therefore pass the bill"

"Notwithstanding your executive seniority, Manjit is not entitled to travel by 2AC. Period", said a determined Konkoje

"Then make him entitled" -- I suggested. That must have been the end of the matter -- so I thought. I was sadly mistaken as events unfolded further

Konkoje told me that he was not the one who could entitle Manjit travel by 2AC. The Babus in the Department are not allowed to volunteer information. You need to ask them. Ask and thou shalt be given. Pity, the situation remains the same, even today

So I asked -- who is empowered to entitle Manjit travel by 2AC.

"The President", declared a learned Konkoje. You would imagine this is a simple straight forward answer. Not so. The (main) Finance Ministry was meant by "the President", in immediate reference to the context -- I was to learn later

"Then go get it" -- I said

"That is not my job", informed an ever-obliging Kon

It was clearly a heads-I-win-tails you-lose-ha-ha situation. I could not fathom what more objections would be forthcoming. I did not know how to take Konkoje by his horns. I was feeling stupid. If I move left -- I am wrong. If I turn right -- it is criminal. So I decided to go up

I told my Director. "I got this job done for you. But Audit is objecting while not being objective. Neither would they pass the bill of Manjit nor would they tell me how to go about (it being presumably not their job). So help me out"

My Boss made a loud case in the Board Meeting. But nothing happened. The item was not even minuted!

It was then I spoke to Devarajan -- Boss of Konkoje. Devarajan was helpful but was inclined to agree with Konkoje. He could not let his subordinate down, at least on the file

I told Devarajan I was passing the hat around. I felt morally responsible to reimburse the expenses incurred by Manjit. I would feel guilty to bury myself amidst the FR & SR and imagine the case was closed

Devarajan said he would not contribute to the hat

I said I was not surprised. "I could have met the expenses out of the imprest cash -- of which I had been provided in plenty", I added. "The imprest account would be subject to post audit, if at all, maybe months later. In that event I shall slap a situation, of fait-accompli, and show all the efforts I marshaled to fall in line with the procedures. The very fact that I was still holding talks shows I was seeking an ethical solution free of morbid red taped excuses". My Boss gave up. He said he would turn a blind eye if I got an entry in the CR for such outspoken demonstration. I said I was game

Devarajan however passed the bill, in his capacity as and rank of an Additional Secretary

In retrospect, the surcharge for 2AC over the First Class amounted to measly twenty rupees. In the foregoing debate we had spent the man-hours of senior executives equivalent to some twenty thousand rupees

"It is not the money -- but a principle and a landmark decision thereof that can be quoted for future references" -- said Devarajan