Government turns off light at the end of the tunnel

Move part of power sector reforms

In a measure welcomed by deficit hawks, the Government today notified the country that it had turned off the light at the end of the tunnel. A press release put on the website of the Press Information Bureau indicated that the decision had been taken after years of research by a team of developmental economists.

Popular cricket commentator and Member of Parliament Navjot Singh Sidhu lamented the move and declared “This is a direct blow to millions of Indian’s who rely on ‘oncoming train’ routine to add meaning to their lives. All people have left now is Ravi Shastri’s ‘tracer bullet’ comment and with new gun control laws, even that may not survive for too long.”

But Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram defended the move saying that the light was adding to the fiscal deficit and the savings from turning it off would be enormous. “It would be myopic of you to look at this one light and say we have turned it off. This is part of a system wide reform process, in which we are trying to weed out unsustainability. This move to turn off the light at the end of the tunnel should send a clear signal to everyone: we are serious about aligning expectations with reality.”  

The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh threw his weight behind the decision and added that although many children had in the past gained an education by studying under streetlights, for their own safety, the practice had to be discouraged especially since this light was at the end of a train tunnel.

Sources within the Congress Party have however indicated that Mrs. Gandhi is unhappy with the move and talks are rife that the light may be relit after the Union Budget, under a scheme called “Rajiv Gandhi 40 watt bulb jalao yojna”.