manindra
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NEW DELHI: Elaborate functions that take place around foundational stone laying ceremonies are a wasteful expenditure of public money and should be curtailed, a new set of instructions issued last week by the Defence Ministry state.
Taking a harsh view on public money being demanded by various departments to organise stone laying ceremonies, instructions have been sent out that no financial sanctions for such events can be justified and that there are no tangible benefits from such events can be justified and that there are no tangible benefits from such events.
The instructions are part of a series of measures being implemented to cut down on wasteful expenditure by the ministry, which includes a new pension disbursal system that cuts down on service charges and expenses to be paid to banks. Manohar Parrikar himself has been frugal and has not been using facilities available to him as the Defence Minister, including the use of an Embraer executive jet. The minister prefers economy class tickets for his travel.
Cracking down on stone laying ceremonies, the controller general of defence accounts has said that no outcomes or deliverables come from money spend and there can therefore be no justification for public funds to be spent. However, the ministry is fine with a simple plaque being erected with details of the project for historical value.
"If a small amount is spent on such plaques to display all that needs to be put in public domain in the spirit of transparency, perhaps that could be justified, but certainly nothing more or beyond," the instructions say.
The frequency of stone laying ceremonies has gone down since Parrikar took over as the Defence Minister last year but he has presided over at least one function in January for the building of the National Institute of Defence Estates Management. Before demitting charge, Arun Jaitley was the chief guest at at least two such functions in June and August in New Delhi
Elaborate functions around foundational stone laying ceremonies waste of public money: Defence Ministry - The Economic Times