SURAJ NANDREKAR
PANJIM: While government departments and officials have been told to follow austerity measures, the State government has for the first time given the Governor the luxury of foreign travel.
Not only this, the State government, led by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has also hiked Raj Bhavan’s budget by 25 percent.
The budgetary allocation to Raj Bhavan, which was Rs 4.78 cr and Rs 5.65 cr in 2014-15 and 2015-16 respectively, has been hiked to Rs 7.06 cr for 2016-17.
Surprisingly, while there has been an increase in the Raj Bhavan budget, there has been no increase in the Governor’s salary. In 2014-15, the salary was Rs 9.68 lakh which was increased to Rs 13.20 per annum and has been retained at that for this financial year.
Shockingly though, when the State is under a financial crisis due to the mining ban, the State government has earmarked Rs 50 lakh for the Governor’s air travel.
While Rs 25 lakh have been earmarked for foreign travel, the balance Rs 25 lakh has been kept aside for domestic air travel.
The foreign trips have been gifted to the Governor for the first time, while the budget for domestic travel has been increased steeply.
The domestic travel budget in 2014-15 was just Rs 5.39 lakh which was increased to Rs 14 lakh last year and again increased to Rs 25 lakh.
The Governor is entitled discretionary grants of Rs 20 lakh, which was just Rs 1.35 lakh in 2014-15.
The CM’s largesse towards the Governor has not gone well with officials as well as his cabinet colleagues, having questioned him over the needless expense.
A minister speaking to Herald, on conditions of anonymity, said, “We are already in a financial crisis and in such a situation why should the Governor be given so much of luxury? Why does the Governor need foreign travel?” he asked.
