Some fifty/sixty years ago, the Station Director of All India Radio, Calcutta spent 2½ Annas on a mutton leg to entice the tiger to roar during the recording of a children’s program on a zoo visit.
Audit objected to it stating that he had no authority to incur expenditure on such an item. He was asked to remit the money, fix responsibility and take steps to prevent such defaults in future.
The station director’s office replied that he had the delegated powers to spend on the entertainment of artists who participate in recorded programs. Citing the definition of an artist from the official manual that there should be a contract between the AIR and the artist, Audit asked the station director to produce a copy of the contract signed with the tiger.
The station director’s office replied that the manuals allowed him to waive the requirements in the case of VIPs who are requested to participate in programs, and since the tiger is a Royal Bengal Tiger (certificate of the zoo authorities attached), the station Director after careful consideration had decided to waive the execution of the contract considering that the tiger had not insisted on any fee for its performance.
The Audit Officer accepted the reply and dropped the objection in view of the clarification.
