Manipur ministers squabble over office room

IMPHAL, March 1: GAD officials are in a fix as many ministers of the PF Government have started squabbling over their allotment of office rooms at the Old Secretariat and New Secretariat. According to inside sources GAD officials are caught in a dilemma as many ministers have started hankering after spacious and well-maintained rooms for their offices. Meanwhile some ministers have started attending office following the completion of renovation and repairing works of the offices, added sources. However some Ministers have still not been assigned their private secretaries, informed a senior Cabinet minister. Official sources said the announcement by Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam that expenses of Ministers would be kept under check and monitored have been enforced. As announced earlier, petrol allocation to the ministers have been reduced from the previous Government's quota of 200 litres to 100 litres per month for each Minister. In case of tours to be taken by Ministers only the required fuel would be released, added the source. The previous discretionary power given to each minister to appoint 2 drivers and 4 peons have also been curtailed and the number has been restricted to one driver and one peon each. Allocation of official vehicles to officers below the rank of Secretary have also been stopped. In case of emergency and other crucial matters the vehicles are sent to only pick up the officers, added the source. Sources said the new measures taken up will curtail unnecessary expenditure to a large extent. However, it is still not clear how long the austerity drive would be enforced on the Ministers and officials.