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| stop throwing to winds austerity measures | | | During the last over 10 years the successive state Governments have been trying to make up for the deficits or for financial stringency by announcing austerity measures. These austerity measures have been dished out not in public rallies but on the floor of the state legislature during the budget proposal presentation. The successive finance ministers have been quite people friendly by not favouring imposing a high dose of taxes. For a number of years either it has been a tax free budget proposals or in certain cases mild taxes are imposed. There is,infact,no room for bringing people under heavy tax net because of ongoing militancy related activities and on account of meager job avenues and industrial growth. At times the finance ministers have been specific on the quantum of resource mobilisation through austerity measures. Exact details are given on the saving of state resources through austerity measures. Invariably some of these austerity measures are adhered to for the first six to eight months and bureaucrats, ministers, legislators and those who matter in the Government are seen on a buying spree during the last three months of each financial year. They keep on spending money on those activities that have been catalogued under the austerity measures. It is towards the end of each financial year the Government gets wiser on the liberty the officialdom enjoyed in violating the austerity measures.
One such austerity measure is connected with less expenses on fuel used in Government cars and on travelling. During the last one year over Rs.2.04 crores have been spent on travelling of Chief Minister and his ministerial colleagues. Some of he ministers have incurred expenses on travelling to New Delhi for an official meeting. Others have caused strain on the state exchequer while shuttling between Srinagar and Jammu. If one delves deep into the purpose of these trips one would be astounded to learn that the tours have been carried out on flimsy grounds. There has been no valid or urgent requirement for the Ministers to travel to Delhi or to Srinagar or from Srinagar to Jammu. Invariably it has been seen that ministers fix a public meeting or a meeting with departmental officers in a place where they are to visit in connection with some social function.This way they combine the official engagement with personal or private or social function on the expenses of the Government.
Usually the successive finance ministers have imposed strict limitations on purchase of furniture and furnishings for the bunglows occupied by the ministers.But the latest Government report reveals that Rs.3.26 crores have been spent on renovation of ministerial bunglows and on purchase of new furniture and furnishings for those quarters.The condition of every Government bunglow,whether in Srinagar or in Jammu,and the state of health of the furniture and the furnishings are known to everybody.There was no need for r enovaing even the renovated bunglows,no need for replacing fine furnishings and furniture with new one from the market.It has been done because neither the Chief Minister nor the Finance Minister wants their ministerial colleagues to spent time in bunglows whose walls do not shine like the faces of the ministers.They do not want the ministers to hold behind the scene meetings with dubious persons over two-year old rugs and carpets.During the last 21 years there has been a heavy drain on the state and central exchequer on security related expenses which includes hefty amount of Rs.23.84 lakhs on the security cover provided to the separatists.If the separatists feel threatened who then should feel free because these very separatists have engineerted threat perception by supporting the guntoting youths.It would be a folly on the part of the state Govrnment to think that it needs to introduce austerity measures only on paper so long the centre continues to provide 80 per cent financial support to the state's plan and non-plan activities.Internal resource mobilisation and austerity measures could help the state Government to earmark bigger sums of money on development projects. It would be better for the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister to set an example on austerity measures by announcing no expenses on renovation of their bunglows and on purchase of furniture and
furnishings.They may set a healthy example for the ministers if they cut travelling expenses and expenses on telephone or electricity by 50 per cent.
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