Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, May 2: The state government, which is cash strapped, is thinking of ways and means to minimise expenditure and cut cost. Towards this end, the government has undertaken administration reforms and frugality. It has asked the officials to present a report on the practicability of merging certain departments and drop certain superfluous posts. As per an estimate, these measures will result in saving of about Rs 2,000 crore for the government annually.

A cabinet sub-committee headed by revenue minister, R Ashok, held its first meeting and discussed things. The committee has directed officials to come up with proposals like which departments can be merged into one, and which unnecessary posts can be relinquished.

Three IAS officers Mounish Moudgil, S G Raveendra and Ekroop Kaur, have been assigned with this job. It has been given 15 days’ time to submit report.

The sub-committee has to submit its report to the government within three months. The government also plans to save money by implementing various recommendations made by administrative reforms commission, expenditure reformation commission, committees formed from time to time, and recommendations of the sixth pay commission and by tightening administration. It is common knowledge that in some departments, there as posts but no work, but in others, there is work but no staff. The government wants to strike a balance between them.

It is said that to bring down mounting expenses, the government wants to bid good bye to certain posts like that of the regional commissioner, joint director in agriculture department, dual posts of principal secretary in a single department, two posts of commissioner, excess staff in gram panchayats, engineering department posts etc. It also plans to merge agricultural and horticulture departments, backward, minorities and social welfare departments, cooperation and agricultural market, cooperative auditing department, state audit department and account department, department of legal metrology and food and civil supplies department, translation department and Kannada and culture department etc.

Speaking on the issue, Ashok said that some officers had created posts at their whims and fancies and some departments have posts which are not useful. He said that the government plans to save about Rs 2,000 crore every year by cancellation of unnecessary posts and merging of departments. He also said that after the three officers prepare and submit a report in15 days, the committee will meet and take a decision about future course of action.