Congmen ready to travel even in Cargo hold: Manish

With the Government pushing for austerity measures to curb air travel in upper class, a Congress spokesman on Friday gave an enthusiastic backing and said partymen were ready to travel even in the "cargo hold."

With the Government pushing for austerity measures to curb air travel in upper class, a Congress spokesman on Friday gave an enthusiastic backing and said partymen were ready to travel even in the "cargo hold."

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Party spokesman Manish Tewari said air travel is basically the quickest way to reach from one place to another and if travel is allowed in the cargo hold, "we are even ready for that." The comments appeared to be targetted at some Union ministers reportedly disinclined to travel in economy class.

"This whole controversy regarding economy and business class is frivolous," he said. He denied suggestions that there have been any differences over the issue in the Union Cabinet.

Tewari said the Congress Working Committee(CWC) had decided a series of austerity measures in view of the drought.

To a question on whether ministers should travel business class, he said the circular brought out by the Government of India is for all government functionaries, including ministers.

The austerity measures suggested by the Finance Ministry had kicked up a row at the meeting of the Union Cabinet yesterday with some ministers seeking clarification over the issue.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday sought to downplay the controversy saying that his Ministry had only made a request to ministers, MPs and officials entitled to travel by the executive class to take the economy class in domestic flights.