No new vehicles, travel only if it's unavoidable: UP govt issues order to cut expenses

The Uttar Pradesh government will not buy new vehicles and keep official travels to the minimum, besides putting off new support staff appointments for advisers as part of measures to ensure availability of funds to deal with financial constraints arising out of the lockdown and the COVID-19 pandemic. According to an order issued by Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, Sanjiv Mittal on Monday for the financial year 2020-2021, government departments have been asked not to buy new vehicles and keep official travels to the minimum by holding video conferences.

If travel is unavoidable, officials have been asked to avail economy class, the order said, putting a ban on executive and business class travel. Officials have also been asked not to use luxury hotels for conferences, seminars and meetings but to utilise government buildings for such events.

The order states that no new vehicle should be bought and in case old vehicles have become unusable, they should be replaced by outsourcing. Officers have been asked to identify and scrap posts that have become obsolete due to the advent of technology and deploy staff posted there elsewhere.

No new appointment of support staff of advisers, chairpersons and members in various departments will be done. Instead, surplus staff should be used or it must be outsourced, the order states. No new construction other than the most necessary ones will be initiated and funds will be used only on completion of existing under-construction projects, it added.

In view of the fund shortage, the state's share in the centrally sponsored schemes would be given in instalments, the order states. The order, marked as austerity measures and financial management in the circumstances emerging out of COVID-19 epidemic, has been sent to all additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, secretaries and heads of departments.

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