IT Correspondent
Mumbai, May 29:
The Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Thursday announced a series of austerity measures to reduce the expenses of Raj Bhavan so as to make more resources available for COVID-19 relief measures.
The Governor gave instructions to Raj Bhavan to undertake the following measures in the current financial year to reduce its expenses: No new capital works to be undertaken. There will not be any new major construction / repairing works in Raj Bhavan. Only ongoing works in progress will be continued and completed, The Independence Day Reception to be held on 15th August 2020 at Raj Bhavan, Pune, will be cancelled and there will be no new regular recruitment in Raj Bhavan until further orders.
Besides, the proposal for the purchase of new car for Raj Bhavan has been deferred, the practice of offering gifts/mementos to VVIPS will be discontinued until further order, the practice of welcoming VIP visitors with bouquets will be discontinued. Guest house rooms in Raj Bhavan should not be decorated with vases and flower-pots and meetings and interactions with Vice-Chancellors and various officers will have to be conducted via video conference to avoid any expenses on travel.
It is estimated that these measures will save nearly 10 to 15 percent of the budget of the Raj Bhavan in the current financial year. The Governor has already contributed his one month salary and further pledged 30% of his salary for one year to the PM CARES Fund for COVID – 19. In the Governor’s estimation, these austerity measures will be a small but significant contribution to save resources that can be used to reduce the sufferings of the people in the backdrop of the situation arisen because of the Corona Virus Disease.
Maharashtra Governor’s pay scale was hiked from Rs 1.1 lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh in November 2019. If the other perks are included then the annual emoluments go up to Rs 3 crore. The emoluments include: Furniture and house repairing/renewal: Rs 26.7 lakh, Hospital expenses: Rs 25 lakh, Entertainment expenses: Rs 1.5 lakh, Office expenses: Rs 2.5 lakh, Office furniture repair: Rs 10 lakh, Contract allowances: Rs 37 lakh, Tour expenses: Rs 23 lakh, Miscellaneous expenses: Rs 82 lakh, Garden expenses: Rs 13 lakh, Electricity: Rs 45 lakh, Water expenses: Rs 15 lakh, Improvement expenses: Rs 25 lakh and Annual pay: Rs 42 lakh.