Fewer Diwali goodies

The corridors of power in Lutyens Delhi wore a different look this Diwali. Gone were the days of long queues of cars loaded with gifts and packets parked in front of government offices days before Diwali. This year, according to some officials, the customary sweet packets for ministers were few. The government's crackdown on lobbyists seems to have spoiled their plans. Especially hit was the lower-rung government staff, who used to eagerly wait for the Diwali goodies. The fewer gifts, they said grudgingly, was the result of another of the unpopular decisions of the National Democratic Alliance government.