Ideas for Real Austerity ; the Government and the Congress Party's Recent 'Austerity Drive has Created Much Debate. Bt Looks at a Few Practical Steps That the Government Can Adopt to Actually Save Money.

Summary

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First, the UPA regime had to launch India's biggest-ever stimulus package backed by government spending to boost the economy. Then came the realisation that higher government spending is great, but not if the money goes into five-star accommodation, air travel and foreign trips. Quick! Roll out the austerity measures.

But austerity measures should mean more unused funds in government coffers, not just a circular. Having failed in many previous expenditure reforms, the Congress party and the government are now trying to show that this time it's for real. BT looked around, spoke to experts and has some practical ideas:

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Extract

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Ideas for Real Austerity ; the Government and the Congress Party's Recent 'Austerity Drive has Created Much Debate. Bt Looks at a Few Practical Steps That the Government Can Adopt to Actually Save Money.

Use video conferencing, cut travel

Bureaucrats from the states often travel to Delhi to attend official meetings, and those from Delhi f...

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