Ghost story

That ghost writers are indispensable for ministers, industrialists and celebrities is old hat. Now, it seems, some government officials also feel the need for their services. Since the work cannot be outsourced nor can a ghost writer be hired officially, subordinates are entrusted with the job. If rumours are to be believed, one senior official in the finance ministry is asking her subordinates to attach a "ghost reply" with every file that is put up to her for comments. The buzz is that another official has given the job to a director-level officer to draft replies on plain paper, which she later copies on the official file in her own handwriting.