A fairly big amount is kept in every annual budget for non- developmental expenditure every year. Every ruler promises the nation that he would cut back on non- developmental expenditure but, in practice, instead of reducing it he overspends under this head of account. The National Assembly, willy nilly, had to sanction supplementary grants every year to cover up this over expenditure in order to regularise the account books.
It is not impossible to bring down the non-developmental expenditure provided there is a will on the part of the government. For instance, if the rulers reduce their foreign visits and start flying in commercial flights on unavoidable foreign tours instead of using chartered planes, a substantial amount can be saved. Likewise, if the senior bureaucrats, instead of sitting in first or business class, start travelling in economy class in their official visits abroad, a big saving can also be made in the non- developmental expenditure but for that to happen they will first have to learn to rub shoulders with the common man.
Must our rulers, including senior civil servants, and ministers, use big official cars? Can’t this system of official cars be dispensed with altogether ? Experience of hindsight reveals that, not one, but many official vehicles are in use of ministers and bureaucrats. They are in the habit of requisitioning one car each from their subsidiary government departments as many ministries consist of more than one government department. The drivers of these official vehicles steal fuel and also claim a lot of money from the government on account of repairs of official vehicles, which are never carried out. If, instead of providing official cars to them, a reasonable monthly travelling allowance, merged with their monthly pay, is given to them a lot of non-developmental expenditure can be saved. If some mandarins want a car of their own they can be given loans which can be deducted in reasonable instalments from their pay.
- Latest
- Trending
