Kejriwal's Bengaluru sojourn marks a healthy precedent: taking breaks

While the rest of the Capital’s citizenry may legitimately lament their inability to escape to more salubrious climes as Delhi continues to become a noxious gas chamber, the return of the chief minister from a sojourn in Bengaluru marks what should become a healthy precedent: taking breaks. All work and no play does make Jack a dull boy, so it makes sense for public functionaries to take sanctioned holidays. Of course, sanctioned, official recesses are different from those garnered by public servants by extending tea and lunch breaks to include entire days if not weeks. At least this way, the taxpayers who usually fund all ‘sabbaticals’ by VIPs will not be left in the dark about their beneficiaries’ whereabouts due to ‘security concerns’ and will also know the ultimate destination of their tax contributions.

Maybe the topic should even be included as a Delhi Dialogue topic by the Aam Aadmi Party. In fact, institutions handling these important functionaries’ rest and recuperation breaks should probably be considered for tax exemptions — if they give preferential rates — as they would be providing a crucial national service by restoring critical leaders to optimum working order. Any savings would also preserve, if not improve, the health of the public exchequer too, making the action twice blessed.