Idle ministers pleaded with PM for work today, but the problem has been simmering for quite a time. So, most of the idle ones have resorted to do freelancing work, to keep themselves busy and to earn extra bucks. Strikes, hunger strikes, dharna, inaugurations and what not, they are accepting orders from one and all.

Many of the ministers for state, which have almost no work to do, have been doing the type of work they do well. Most of them are in demand for speeches. The ministers from Hindi belt are also busy in laying stone ceremonies of buildings, flyovers and bridges, most of which will not light of the day, but it does not matter.

Some of them are so free that they are even available for dharna's, even if it is against their own government. After all, all publicity is good publicity. And any work is good work, if it is paid. One of them has even proposed the idea of dharna against PM for non-availability of work to them.

A small number of flamboyant and youthful ones have also started taking money to appear for social ceremonies á la SRK or Akshay Kumar. But, it seems like a small trend only and it will go away soon. After all, a politician won't get more than a local Shehnai band in a party

To keep the ministers busy, higher echelons of government are also contemplating picking up some outsourcing work of some EU nations. Some MoU in that regard are on cards. However government is not very keen on making public these types of deals, and therefore, is keeping the cards very close to it's chest.

However, some sections of government wants to have some ministers on bench. The 'bench strength' bug of IT companies has bitten the government too. They want to have some 'reserved ministers' for unplanned work.

A fruit seller suggested a simple way of dealing with this problem. "Why not get rid of those extra ministers and make the government smaller?", he asked. But, some questions are better left unasked.

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