Let's assume Ms P, is a salaried person who has been stretching her bill payments towards the fag end of the month. Irked with this habit, she decides to become more prudent and pay her bills in the first half of the month.

       Happy with the better clarity that she has on her cash balances now, there comes a month when she gets a good raise and earns more than ever. In this situation, what is the chance that she would go back to the old habit, and delay her bill payments? No way, one would say. But the Government of India, finding itself in a similar situation this time, has cut back ...