DF Govt cuts its expenses by 10 p c

An estimated Rs 92,400 per month would be saved by way of the cut in the ministers’ salaries. The Deshmukh Ministry has 54 ministers including 26 Cabinet and 28 Ministers of State.

While a Cabinet minister gets Rs 18,000 per month on account of remuneration and allowances, a Minister of State draws Rs 17,000 per month.

The ministers also decided to cut the expenditure on their telephone calls by 35 per cent. Further, the ministers would not be able to charge the exchequer for the air travel of their personal secretaries." They will have to travel through the railway," Deshmukh said.

The Chief Minister has also decided to reduce the number of staff in his office. At present, the strength of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) is 121, including a principal secretary, three joint secretaries, two deputy secretaries, one official on special duty and three private secretaries. "Surplus staff in the CMO would be sent back to their original departments," Deshmukh said. "I have decided to keep minimum staff required for conducting work of the CMO,"he added.

In reply to a question, Deshmukh said the government had not taken any decision on payment of bonus to its employees. "We are studying the observations made by the High Court in a case related to ex-gratia payment to BMC employees,"he said.

He, however, preferred not to make any comment on the remarks passed by the High Court against the state government on handling of the BMC employees’ strike.