No first class facilities to bureaucrats, orders Modi
- In a bid to decline Fiscal deficit to a seven-year low, PM Modi ordered that bureaucrats should quit first class travelling start paying for their spouses' air tickets.
- The ban on first class travel could save up to Rs 2 lakh.
- It is part of an austerity drive launched by Modi on Thursday to cut discretionary spending by 10 per cent in the fiscal year to March 2015.
- Finance Ministry directed that the resources should be optimised to maximum. It also mentioned that there is a need to continue to rationalise expenditure.
- Purchase of cars for government officials and Five star hotel meetings have also been barred by the ministry.
- "Such measures are intended at promoting fiscal discipline, without restricting the operational efficiency of the government," the Finance Ministry said.
