Yes, Prime Minister, they rush to cancel their foreign trips

Their move came in the wake of Prime Minister’s letter to his cabinet colleagues asking them to cut down on avoidable expenditure and reduce foreign trips in a bid to lessen the burden on the government following a steep rise in prices of petroleum products and spiralling inflation.

Two more members of the Cabinet, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora and Finance Minister P Chidambaram, have also pulled out from their foreign jaunts but both insisted that their cancellation had been done much before the Prime Minister’s directive.

Deora was to travel to Japan to attend a conference of Energy Ministers while Chidambaram was to be in Stanford today for a seminar. A statement from the Finance Ministry said Chidambaram had only tentatively accepted the invitation and declined it “almost 10 days ago”.

Ambika Soni was much more up front about her decision. A statement from her ministry said her visit to San Francisco and Los Angeles from June 21-28 to attend World Kuchipudi Dance Festival and a function of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin were cancelled “in response to the Prime Minister’s directive on foreign travel to members of the council of ministers”.

Baalu, who was to lead a delegation to Finland on June 9 for signing a memorandum of cooperation in the field of transport and also for holding bilateral discussions with the Finland Government, also called off his trip in deference to the PM’s call.

Dasmunsi went a step further and instructed his ministry officials to follow a series of austerity measures while announcing that he himself would travel only economy class. Hoping that officers in the ministry would also follow suit, Dasmunsi emphasised that foreign travel should be undertaken by ministry officials only if ‘absolutely necessary’. In case, participation was not of such absolute necessity, the ministry should share its views over email with mission officers who can then represent the ministry in conferences/seminars.

Dasmunsi also called on officials to cut down on domestic travel. Besides curtailing traveling plans, the Information and Broadcasting ministry has also asked the Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor to undertake an exercise and prepare a status note highlighting areas of non-plan expenditure where 5 per cent extra savings can be made in the current financial year. This is over and above the standing circular of the expenditure ministry for reducing non-plan expenditure by 5 per cent every year. This exercise should include all the media units, PSUs subordinate offices and attached offices of the ministry.

With the government keen to advertise its austerity drive, having forced the burden of petrol price hike on the general public, more ministers are expected to cancel their foreign trips. Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal, who is scheduled to go abroad next week, is said to be reconsidering his decision.