AFVOA Newletter August 2020

Section 5 - Memoirs CV 2 No. 02 / 2020 Page 152 of 237 Home Dept., it goes to Finance Dept. for approval. Pronto, the file comes back with the following queries: 1. As the cats are free to roam around, can they not feed on the rats which are in abundance in the Govt. offices . Why this increase ? 2. Why this increase now ? Was there a demand raised by the Cats ? How did they ? JS, Home department got wild on seeing these queries. Being a humorous person, he wanted to outwit the Finance Dept. His re-joinder: 1. Unlike domesticated cats,these FSL cats are not free to roam around anywhere. They are kept in captivity being lab animals and are taught “not to steal“, being Police friendly. FS Labs, being sanitized areas do not breed rats. We understand that Finance Deptt stacks max number of files in the Secretariat and hence rat population there will be more there. If the Finance Dept. can formulate a scheme, we can send these cats there on a conducted “catch the feed “ program, under Finance Dept.’s direct supervision. 2. This increase in ration allowance is based on the felt hunger expressed by more “meows”( not catcalls !) by these cats in FSL. As the ID Act 1947 does not have any enabling provisions for forming of any union by the cats, we have not received any voiced demand from them , till now. On seeing this re-joinder by Home department, Finance Dept. had sent the file in double-quick time with the following minutes: “ WE AGREE ” From “Pillar to Post” or “Pillai to Pillai” Those days, Foreign Trade Policy was so restricted and citizens had to be doubly sure about the importability and exportability of any item. There was a Banned List, Restricted list, Canalised list, OGL, GLIs, XLIs—a plethora of restrictions. This dutiful citizen booked an appointment to seek clarification on importability of camphor. Directed by the PRO, he met Shri T.N.R.Pillai, Dy. Chief Controller of Imports and Exports in Udyog Bhawan and asked him about the licensing instructions. T.N.R Pillai , after a patient hearing , rebuked the visitor and directed the visitor to go to Shri K.N.R Pillai as the subject matter is not under his domain.( In those days, Central Secretariat was mostly manned by Madarasis like the Indian (N)Air Force and the Indian Iyer & Iyengar Service ( IA&AS ) ! ) Exasperated, the visitor reached K.N.R Pillai who was so impatient but eloquent to turn him back stating that the