No new cars for Modi ministers

With their coffers squeezed, expenditures are weighing on the government with  Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushing for fiscal discipline. Modi has restrained ministers  from purchasing new cars.

Modi also wants ministers to seek PMO clearance for any expenditure that exceeds Rs 1 lakh.

The move is also aimed at sending a message that the government is not splurging on its ministers while asking the people to bear the brunt of price rise.

After occupying Raisina Hill, Modi has come up with several guidelines, including for hiring personal staff, and set performance targets that has empowered PMO to run the government machinery.

This is in contrast to the UPA regime where the former prime minister Manmohan Singh’s office was not taken seriously as power was centred with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Though the directive restricts purchase of new cars, it is not clear whether a detailed austerity drive would follow to curtail non-Plan expenditure.

The UPA government had also announced a slew of austerity measures last year barring ministers from hosting meetings in five star hotels and asking the government officials not to fly executive class.

The government had also banned fresh recruitment.