In a non-indulgence mode, Punjab Government on Monday issued instructions to all the State departments, including Ministers and senior officials, to ensure austerity in public expenditure for the financial year 2015-2016. In a communiqué issued to all divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, district and session judges, the Punjab and Haryana HC registrar and heads of various Government depts, it has been conveyed “to follow the instruction regarding austerity measure in true spirit”.
All the departments have been directed to “maintain a balance between their limited income resources and expenditure and not to exceed the budget limit in their departmental expenditures”. looking to further curb expenses, the instructions permitted ministers and officers holding charge of more than one office to use vehicles of only one department.
It has also directed that the remaining vehicles would not be used, debarring departments to demand an additional budget for these vehicles. The instructions also sought to convey to all departments to ensure prudence in electricity and telephone expenditures. It was also conveyed in the instructions that except chief secretary, deputy commissioners, divisional commissioners and SSPs, other officers would not be paid for telephone, electricity, furniture and other expenditures from state exchequer for camp offices operating at their residences.