New Delhi: When Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently told his cabinet colleagues to slash their ministerial expenses by at least 20 per cent, he knew what he was talking about.
For, soon after taking charge as PM for the second consecutive term in May 2019, one of the things he had done was cut down the strength of his personal staff at his residence-cum-office at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, by almost half, people familiar with the matter told ThePrint.
From a little over 50, the number of his personal staff has now been reduced to 25. Personal staff at the PM’s residence-cum-office include peons and clerical staff.
This is not all.
“Keeping in line with the motto of minimum government, maximum governance, there has been a more than 15 per cent overall reduction in the staff strength at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO),” a source in the government said.
This, the source added, is significant. “The expectations and aspirations of people have quite increased. There has been stress on improving the productivity of the employees.”
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Austerity measures
In November 2019, following a cabinet meeting, the PM impressed upon his council of ministers to economise their expenses. The ministers were told to cut down on their personal staff and other expenses to curtail cost.
“This adheres to the government’s austerity mantra. The PM wants his ministerial colleagues to try to cut unnecessary expenditure wherever possible,” a second source said.
In the meeting, Modi also asked his cabinet colleagues to cut down on foreign trips. In his first term too, PM Modi had cut down on the strength of the delegation that accompanies him on his foreign tours.
Others had followed suit.
For instance, the finance ministry issued directions on 30 October 2014, to every ministry to regulate both domestic and foreign travel expenses. Not only were officers barred from flying first class, but a ban was also put on holding meetings and conferences at five-star hotels.
Exemption for holding meetings at five-star hotels was given only in case of bilateral/multilateral official engagements to be held at the level of minister-in-charge or administrative secretary, with foreign governments or international bodies of which India is a member.
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Woh bure din wapas de do
Loan chhiye personal
How fait is it to demand a fifth pass t take a 10th standard exam??? You get what you deserve.
Your comments are worthless so stop wasting your time,Eaghuraman
Reducing manpower is good beginning. But govts should seriously consider outsourcing non critical activities to bring down wage bills.Most pvt organizations have eliminated peons by installing water coolers and tea/coffee vending machines.Digitization should enable govts to reduce clerical staff.With internet tours and travels too should be curtailed for all officers.
Comment karnewalo ap sabhi mar chuke hai
Praiseworthy. May this fine example be followed down the line.
Some persons always whine.
Understand that Modi is trying to cut cut costs at expense of some human beings that work for him & his staff. What does he have to say about cutting his personal egotistic expense of having a customized suit made for himself at an obnoxiously high price of Rs. 2 crores and then spending unnecessary money on 2-3 days travel to other Foreign Countries. His unnecessary gifts to his mistress Smriti Irani, Buliding a Statue of Vallabh Patel at expense of Several million dollars at expense of the citizens of India. That morny could have been used to build shelters for the Homeless
All these austerity goes out the window when they decide to make a godse statue.
All nautanki. Why were these measures not done since several years ?
Reason must be the recent failures, and denting the image.
The last seventy years before 2014 was full of glory, milk and honey were flowing in the country and there were no poor people.
woh bure din wapas de do 🙂