New Delhi: The sum for expenses of union ministers has been increased by 15.4 percent in the current fiscal.
The union budget 2014-15, presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in parliament Thursday proposed Rs.433 crore for salaries, tour and other expenses for the union council of ministers as against Rs.375 crore provided for 2013-14.
The allocation also include Rs.38.44 crore for Prime Minister's Office and Rs.271.80 crore for tour expenses of the union ministers, as well as provision for sumptuary and other allowances of the cabinet ministers and ministers of state.
This also includes provision for maintenance of aircraft used for VVIPs travel.
In 2012-13, Rs 269.94 crore was allocated for the tour expenses of Union Ministers.
Interestingly, the budgetary allocation for tour expenses of Union Ministers was drastically reduced in the last two budgets in comparison to the previous years apparently due to tough fiscal situation. Rs 678.53 crore was spent under 'Tour Expenses of Union Ministers in 2011-12.
There was a cut in the budgetary allocation to the Cabinet Secretariat -- from Rs 51.76 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 50.40 crore in 2013-14.
The Special Protection Group, which protects VVIPs like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, also saw its allocation drop from Rs 401.13 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 386.27 crore in the new fiscal.
