TN govt continues austerity measures on major expenditures; GO issued

CHENNAI: With the State yet to come out of the economic crisis caused by the pandemic, the government has proposed to continue the austerity measures on certain major items of expenditure for the current financial year, that were imposed during the first wave of the pandemic. A GO was issued to give effect to the measures.

The austerity measures were introduced in May, 2020, immediately after the Covid struck. Under the circumstances, the State government in the process of reviewing the austerity measures decided to continue the measures for some of the major schemes in the current financial year. However, relaxations were also provided for a few minor items.

As far as machinery and equipment are related, the restrictions were imposed except for essential service providers like Health and Family welfare and Fire and Rescue services and the State government decided to follow the status quo in procuring machinery and equipment.

Similarly, for office expenditures, the expenditures were restricted for exception cases like creation of new offices and upkeep of existing infrastructures in offices and status quo will be followed. As far as purchase of new vehicles are concerned there was total ban on purchase of new vehicles except for emergency services like medical, ambulance services, police, Fire services and VVIP security and the ban continues except for replacement of condemned vehicles.

Restrictions also continue for travelling allowances and daily allowances as the heads of the departments were directed to give permissions for official travels more judiciously and to provide permission only for "absolutely essential official requirements". There was also a ban for foreign travels at government cost but now the State government had given permission to undertake foreign travel "based on need and in unavoidable circumstances".

Air travel within the State is now permitted for officials but only in economy class. Status quo is also maintained for flight journeys outside the State and the Resident Commissioners of Tamil Nadu House in Delhi can be deputed to attend the Union government meetings in Delhi as far as possible.