Bhubaneswar, Dec. 2: The austerity drive initiated by the state government is yielding the desired result.
In the last two years, the tour bills of the chief minister and his ministers have amounted to just around Rs 74 lakh. During the same period, ailing ministers have admitted themselves in district hospitals and availed the services of government dispensaries instead of going to private facilities.
Only two ministers out of the total 22 - tourism and culture minister Ashok Chandra Panda and housing and urban development minister Pushpendra Singh Deo - have gone on foreign tours in the last two years.
While Panda visited London and New York to promote tourism, Singh Deo went to Italy to attend the 61st World Congress. The cost for Singh Deo's visit was borne by the organisers of the conference.
Parliamentary affairs minister Bikram Keshari Arukh informed the Assembly about the amount spent by the ministers in the last two years in a written reply to a question.
"All the ministers have submitted the genuine bills and claimed reimbursements accordingly. No one submitted any inflated bills," said Arukh.
On whether the ministers have been asked to follow austerity measures, the minister said: "We are aware that it's a taxpayer's money that is being spent. The bill reflects the integrity of the ministers."
Arukh has himself claimed reimbursements amounting to Rs 2. 36 lakh during this period. The highest amount - Rs 9.63 lakh - was claimed by commerce and transport minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi. The chief minister has claimed Rs 7.43 lakh from the state exchequer during the same period.
The two ministers who claimed just Rs 1 lakh each are cooperation minister Damodar Rout and handlooms, textile and handicrafts minister Snehangini Chhuria.
Steel and mines minister Prafulla Kumar Mallick, who was admitted to the district hospital at Kamakshya Nagar for treatment during this period, said: "When I can get treated in a government hospital, why should I go to a private hospital?"
Similarly, agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy, who is suffering from several ailments, including pulmonary disorders, diabetes and blood pressure, was admitted to the Raj Bhavan dispensary for treatment.
