By IANS,
New Delhi: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s austerity drive has had some effect. The saving to the exchequer since the government directed all ministers to travel economy class, both within the country and abroad, has been of Rs.9 million.
Furnishing details of the travel expenses in the Lok Sabha Tuesday, Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Maken said the council of ministers spent over Rs.127 million during 2008-09 against over Rs.136 million the year before.
Most of the saving happened in the foreign travel expenses of the cabinet ministers. While foreign travel cost the government over Rs.94 million during 2008-09, it was over Rs.115 million the previous year.
The foreign travel expenses of ministers of state during the previous fiscal was a little over Rs.6 million as against around Rs.7 million in 2007-08.
However, the domestic travel expenses by both cabinet ministers and their juniors increased substantially. While the domestic air travel cost the government over Rs.27 million in 2008-09, it was around Rs.16 million the year before.