The Omar Abdullah government has joined the austerity bandwagon to do away with free lunches/dinners, swanky furniture, zippy cars, foreign jaunts and LTC for politicians and bureaucrats.
Does the life of a politician or bureaucrat mean a life of luxury to you? Not so, if you are posted in Jammu and Kashmir. The Omar Abdullah government has joined the austerity bandwagon to do away with free lunches/dinners, swanky furniture, zippy cars, foreign jaunts and LTC for politicians and bureaucrats. The idea is to control spiralling non-developmental government spending in Jammu and Kashmir.
All administrative departments have been given strict guidelines to cut down on official expenditure. The only official dinners or lunches would be those hosted by the chief minister. “There will be a total ban on purchase of furniture, fixture and furnishings except in case of new offices. Even there, such purchase needs administrative concurrence for which the limit is Rs1 lakh,” the official spokesman said.
Proposed travel abroad by government functionaries will be placed before a designated selection committee for clearance. Also, a committee of secretaries will monitor travel outside the state on official assignments.
The committee will also monitor government functionaries’ participation in refreshment courses, seminars, workshops and conferences outside the state.
“The department will have to ensure that they devise internal processes to leverage the cheapest fare in economy class for air travel,” the spokesman said.
Except for operational requirement of law and order agencies and security-related organisations, the government has imposed a blanket ban on purchase of vehicles.
Prof Nissar Ali, member state finance commission, said that of the total Rs21,000 crore plan and non plan expenditure, nearly Rs7,000 crore is incurred on prime remittance including salaries and pensions.
“The austerity measures are necessary to cut non-productive expenditure. Though there has been no data of how much money can be saved, it would be great if the government is able to save even 10%,” he said.
CPI(M) general secretary MY Tarigami said the government should use the money saved from austerity to procure food items from the open market to tide over grim situation in the state.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}