The Yogi Adityanath government has decided to cut wasteful public expenditure and curb discretionary spending by officials to save funds for more productive uses.
Under the new guidelines issued by the state chief secretary, officials have been directed to fly economy class, while exercising prudence over other expenditure, including foreign travel, availing of commercial services for their respective departments, and on publicity, etc.
According to a highly placed source, a government order (GO) was issued on Tuesday in this regard and circulated among all department heads, including additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, and secretaries, etc. The order is also applicable to all the state government enterprises, local bodies, development authorities and autonomous institutions.
Among the various austerity measures proposed under the GO are restrictions on purchasing new vehicles, hosting official luncheons/dinners in star hotels, creating new posts in departments other than police and health, etc. The department heads have been advised to curb spending on freebies, such as calendars, diaries, letterheads, etc.
The posts falling vacant in class-IV category would now be filled through outsourcing. All official meetings, seminars and workshops would be organised in government-owned premises rather than uptown hotels.
The government feels that for optimum utilisation of public funds, cutting of wasteful administrative expenditure is imperative. Further, computerisation in government departments has eased work pressure, which would allow for doing away with some posts altogether.
At the same time, the government would identify schemes that could be clubbed with other schemes and programmes or those which could be discontinued owing to their irrelevance with the changing times. The GO has put a bar on constructing new guest houses by government departments, local bodies, authorities, etc.
At the same time, the departments and other government agencies would avoid public spending on new furniture, upholstery, beautification, etc. The departments would employ information technology tools such as email, video conferencing, etc, for cutting paper wastage.
In the current election year, the Adityanath government has flagship schemes and projects to be funded. With this directive, while the state aims to save funds and divert them for more productive uses, clipping the wings of the bureaucracy with regard to expenditure will also transmit a positive message about the dispensation.
Last month, the Adityanath government had presented a Supplementary Budget of Rs 348 billion in the state legislature. Coupled with UP's Annual Budget of Rs 4.28 trillion, tabled on February 16, 2018, the net 2018-19 UP Budget totals Rs 4.63 trillion.
The Supplementary Budget had allocated 65 per cent of funds to core sectors -- rural economy, agriculture and energy -- to keep the electorate in good humour in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek reelection amid talks of a united Opposition.