Govt needs to focus on trimming extravagant costs
Every time a new party comes into power, one of the most predictable things that gets spoken about is that of trimming costs, especially what would be considered as ‘extravagant’ in normal parlance. But all these talks bit dust few months later, is the bitter truth. CM Kumaraswamy has instructed chief secretary to ensure extravagance in terms of money should be brought down. This is the most welcome move. His commitment is indeed honorable.
New ministers splurging on renovation, new car, television, household goods, furniture and remodeling of even official residence is ugly but a normal practice by now. People do not hesitate to even spend crores of rupees to make their govt residences vastu complainant. This is sure to damage CM’s commitment to bring down exorbitant spending.
After the coalition government came into power, ministers have started conducting pooja, homa and havanas in their offices and have been renovating their places of residence. This work alone has cost Rs 20 crore by now. Though some ministers were part of the previous government as well, even they utilized money to carry out works at their house as per vastu or any other aspect they place their trust in. When BJP’s Jagadish Shettar was the CM, the chief whip of that party had demolished a wall in their office at Vidhana Soudha, and then built it again as per the vastu advice. Carrying out homa, Havana and other rituals in Vidhana Soudha is the ultimate insult we cause to the democracy. One may have them at their personal residences which is a closed space. Not only ministers, even officers renovate offices when they assume new posts, to give a modern touch to their workplace. New lamps, toilets and upholstery cost quite a bit of funds from the govt exchequer.
CM Kumaraswamy was chosen by people for his promise to waive off loans of the farmers. His govt has to collate resources to be able to execute this promise which would cost close to Rs 53,000 cr to the state exchequer. Just telling his ministers and officers to cut down on exorbitant costs would not do any good unless the CM instructs them in unambiguous terms as to what is allowed and what isn’t. CM has not occupied his official bunglow, and continues to live in his private residence in JP Nagar. He is travelling by Air India whenever the need for travel arises. The rest of the ministers too need to focus on staying simple on many fronts.
The tax money that gets spent on unnecessary costs and expenses does not send the right message about the new government to the people of the state. CM and his ministers are just caretakers of the whole state. They need to be transparent in all aspects of their tenure in the government. The lakhs and crores they spend on office renovation, should actually be reserved for welfare programmes of people.
The new government should not only focus on bringing down exorbitant costs but also ensure the number of Boards and Federations are also trimmed as per the need, since they are often seen as rehabilitation centres for those who want to use official power and resources without contributing much. There are nearly 90 Boards in the state, and about 75% of them are bleeding bad. They seem like white elephants that need a lot of money to maintain with no exact outcome or contribution to the state. The government needs to take a bold step to shut them down. The Academies and Authorities that do not contribute to any growth of the state whether in terms or identity, heritage or any other tangible aspect, also need to be dealt with iron hand. There is a lot of duplication in these small units that carry out similar work. Hundreds earn salaries through these bodies that serve no tangible purpose.
A strong decision regarding cutting down on expenses was taken when UPA government was in power. NDA government continued this practice as well. Officers were instructed not to travel by first class, and more such extravagant expenses were brought down.
If CM Kumaraswamy needs to waive off the farmers loans, he needs Rs 53,000 cr for the purpose and half of this needs to come from the central government. Whether central government contributes for this purpose or not, the state will have to carry out its commitment without fail. Hence all the unnecessary administration costs need to be brought under strict monitoring and the financial resource will have to be put together to provide relief to the farmers. A strong political will is needed to carry out this assurance the CM had given to his people. They need to shun extravagance and lead a simple life for the larger good, and to be appreciated by people of the state.
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2 men dragged for 300 metres by truck in Agra; locals save their lives
Agra, Dec 23: A truck driver dragged two people for about 300 metres in Agra under his vehicle, police on Monday said.
Some locals forced the driver to stop the truck and extricated the men from under the vehicle.
Police arrested the driver and seized the truck.
The two men, both residents of Nunhai in Agra, were going towards Rambagh from Waterworks when they met with an accident around 11 pm Sunday.
The driver, instead of stopping the truck sped up, trapping both of them underneath, police said.
"In the accident, two youths were dragged by a canter driver for about 300 metres. Later, some residents saved the youths by stopping the driver using force," Chhatta Police Station Inspector Pramod Kumar told PTI.
"The youths were sent for treatment at a nearby hospital and are still being treated, but are in stable condition. The youths were from Agra. The canter driver was arrested and the canter seized after the incident," he said.
A video of the incident that surfaced on social media showed the men shouting for help.
The video was purported to have been shot by a person passing by on a two-wheeler.
“पिछली पोस्ट में वीडियो में युवकों को मोटर साइकल सहित ट्रक वाला कई मीटर तक घसीटता हुआ ले जाता गया देखा था,
— Umashankar Singh उमाशंकर सिंह (@umashankarsingh) December 23, 2024
अब जनता द्वारा उस ट्रक ड्राइवर की ठुकाई पिटाई का समारोह देखिए।”#Agra@madanjournalist
pic.twitter.com/Qh5ncyWtEa
HORRIFYING!
— Sanjay Kishore (@saintkishore) December 23, 2024
In Agra, a truck driver dragged two men for 300 meters. Locals intervened, stopping the truck and saving the men. Both are stable but continue receiving treatment. The driver has been arrested and the truck seized.
pic.twitter.com/1ply5wemfX
