No refreshments for East Corpn officials to cut expenses

The East Corporation’s officials and councillors savouring snacks and cold beverages during meetings in the summer months will be a thing of past. They will not even be served tea now.

Officials and elected representatives with the East Delhi Municipal Corporation will not be given any refreshment as a part of the austerity measures by the cash-strapped civic agency. A resolution on this was passed in the standing committee meeting of the East Corporation on Thursday.

Leader of Opposition in east civic agency Varyam Kaur tabled the proposal at the meeting. “When we are not able to pay salaries to employees and old age pension to the beneficiaries, why should we incur lakhs on enjoying snacks? By saying no to refreshments, the civic agency can save money that can be used to disburse salaries of safai karamcharis at least,” said Kaur.

The proposal was seconded by councillors from both the ruling and opposition parties. A senior official with the East Corporation said the move will help to save up to 15 lakh a year. “All head of departments have been directed to identify such measures through which finance can be saved and utilised in a better way. We are trying to find other sources to generate revenue for the corporation,” he added.

Though, the official said salaries to its employees, including sanitation workers, have been paid. The civic agency needs Rs 82 crore to give salaries to its over 35,000 employees.

Last month, the North Corporation had cancelled funds for decorating offices of officials and councillors. The civic agency stopped keeping flower in the offices of officials and councillors at its headquarter at the Civic Centre. Officials had said the decoration of flowers in the rooms used to cost Rs 8,000 a day amounting to Rs 12 lakh per annum.