Budget 2018: 29% cut in Cabinet ministers' travelling, other allowances

About Rs 2.95 billion has been earmarked for expenditure on salaries and travel by Cabinet ministers, ministers of state and ex-prime ministers for the 2018-19 financial year, which is a reduction of 29 per cent from over Rs 4 billion allocated for the ongoing financial year.

An outlay of Rs 2.95 billion has been made for the council of ministers to meet expenditure on salaries, sumptuary and other allowances and travel by Cabinet ministers, ministers of state and ex-prime ministers.

"This also includes provision for maintenance of aircraft utilised for VVIP travel," according to the budget presented today by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

A total of Rs 4.18 billion has been allocated for this purpose for 2017-18.

About Rs 0.59 billion has been earmarked for meeting the administrative expenses of Cabinet Secretariat and Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) during 2018-19.

There has been minor increase in budget for the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

A total of Rs 0.50 billion has been allocated for meeting the administrative expenses of the PMO during the next financial, up more than Rs 20 million against Rs 482 million for 2017-18.

A sum of Rs 52.2 million has been allocated for expenditure on government hospitality and entertainment of foreign state guests, official entertainment arranged at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on behalf of the vice president and the prime minister, reception on national days, investiture and ceremonies for presentation of credentials, etc. during 2018-19.

The expenditure under this head for the ongoing financial year is Rs 50.7 million.