Sonia snips CMs' purse strings

HYDERABAD: Barely back from the Chandigarh conclave, Congress chief ministers have received a new missive from party president Sonia Gandhi. This relates to a new code of austerity and ethics that they should follow forthwith. Simultaneously, a communication has gone to the Pradesh Congress Committee chiefs.
Gandhi has told the CMs to discourage foundation-laying ceremonies for government projects and celebration of the New Year and religious festivals at the government's expense.Further, serving of luncheons and dinners at government expense at official functions, receptions and meetings should be discontinued.
Party chiefs have been advised to set up ethics committees and told to ensure that attendance at ostentatious functions are avoided.Only the governor and the chief minister should be entitled to have a red light and siren on their vehicles, Sonia has suggested and mandated that ministers should travel by air only by economy class.
The number of official vehicles given to each minister should be restricted to one and use of vehicles should be restricted to the area of jurisdiction, the UPA chairman has ruled.The state plane or helicopter should be sparingly used and the record of its use should be put on the state government's website every month, Sonia has said.
She also wants a ceiling for the bills for official telephones at the offices and residences of ministers and officers and also restriction on the number of official telephones. There should be no STD and ISD facilities for the official telephones at the residences of ministers and officers, the UPA chairman has said.
Sonia Gandhi also disapproved the practice of allocating the rank of minister, minister of state and deputy minister to those heading corporations, boards, commissions, etc. All elected representatives have been asked to submit annual statements of their assets and income.
Analysts remarked that in practice, none of these norms is followed by state governments. In fact, even things like use of redlight cars is grossly misused, not to talk of official cars, helicopters and telephones. "This is in the nature of an advisory and it remains to be seen how vigorously the state governments implement it," said an analyst.