The Congress on Wednesday announced a series of austerity measures for its ministers and legislators including a ban on premium class air travel as part of the party’s efforts to cut down government expenditure in a drought year.
The austerity measures were mooted at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting convened by party president Sonia Gandhi to discuss the drought and the spiralling prices of essential commodities. Briefing journalists after a three-hour-long meeting, Congress general secretary in-charge of organisational matters, Janardan Dwivedi, said the CWC decided that all Congress ministers and legislators at the Centre and in party-ruled States would give up 20 per cent of their salaries for a year beginning September 1, 2009.
This “voluntary” cut in salaries would be applicable to all members of the Congress who draw a salary from either the Central government or party-ruled State Governments. While Mr. Dwivedi did not announce the party’s decision barring its ministers and legislators from premium class air travel, other CWC members confirmed that such a directive had been issued.
Some CWC members drew attention to the huge expenses being incurred on renovating ministerial offices and bungalows and this was apparently frowned upon by the senior Congress leadership. Earlier, in a letter on drought management to all Pradesh Congress Committee presidents, Ms. Gandhi had said: “The way we conduct ourselves both in our private and public life must reflect our concern for those who are less fortunate than us and those who are suffering on account of drought and other problems beyond their control.”
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee suggested that Parliamentary Standing Committees meet only in Delhi as huge expenses are incurred on the travel and stay of MPs.
Bureau Report
