Photo Courtesy: northeasttoday
Guwahati: The Assam government has introduced a series of austerity measures to ensure fiscal discipline as global tensions in West Asia continue to impact the economy. Finance Commissioner and Secretary Jayant Narlikar issued an executive order this week requiring a 20 percent reduction in fuel costs and a 10 percent cut in revenue and establishment spending. These restrictions exclude essential payments like salaries, pensions, debt repayments, and other charged expenditures.
To support these savings, the government has banned the purchase of new vehicles for six months and deferred all non-essential foreign travel for officials. Ministerial convoys will be downsized, and inter-district security movements restricted. Officials are encouraged to use public transport, carpool, or switch to electric vehicles, while the Guwahati Municipal Corporation must transition to a green public transport system within the next year.
The directive also prohibits lavish hospitality, official dinners, and cultural functions. State departments must focus on energy audits to cut electricity waste and increase revenue by optimizing the use of government assets. All revenue activities are now required to run through the Electronic Government Receipt Accounting System to ensure transparency. By implementing these steps, the state aims to practice fiscal prudence while maintaining administrative efficiency during a period of national solidarity.
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