Weighed down by poll promises, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy instructs officials to cut down unnecessary expenditure

BENGALURU: The new ministers who would be sworn in on Wednesday are unlikely to get swanky new cars and those wishing to renovate and refurbish their offices may be compelled to give up their plans.
Facing severe resource crunch to fulfil his poll promises, including farm loan waiver, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has conveyed a strong message to curb wasteful expenditure and ostentation.

The Chief Minister has instructed the officials of all the departments to follow austerity measures. “Cut down all unnecessary expenditure, if any, in the administration. Review the proposals submitted by various government departments, offices and agencies to buy new cars,” the Chief Minister has said.

According to a communique issued by the Chief Minister’s Office on Sunday, Kumaraswamy has also directed to discourage unnecessary refurbishing and renovating of government offices and residences. Detailed guidelines in this regard will be issued in a day or two, said sources in the CM’s office.
Kumaraswamy, who is keen to walk the talk, has preferred to use his personal car, a  Range Rover, and has avoided purchase of a new car for the Chief Minister. Kumaraswamy has also announced that he would not use special flights unless except under emergency situations.Purchase of new cars for the ministers has been a routine exercise over the decades. 

It has also been a common practice on part of most of the ministers to renovate their offices and also furnish them with new furniture spending crores of rupees. For instance, Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya had courted controversy in the previous Siddaramaiah government as he demolished a wall between two rooms of Vidhana Soudha to have a bigger office and renovated it much against public outcry.But ironically the instruction on cars has come after the state government purchased 20 new Innova Crysta cars, each costing about Rs 25 lakh, for use by legislators who stay at Legislators’ Home(LH) during the legislature session. The new cars have been parked at the LH premises.

“The cars were purchased before the new government took over. The new cars would be provided on rental basis for use by legislators within Bengaluru city limits. They are being charged a tariff of `6 per km for cars like Swift Dzire, Toyota Etios, the rental for Innova has been fixed at `8 per km,” an officer in LH told The New Indian Express.