Pay packets of Union Ministers shrink, tours cut

The budgetary provisions have put the salaries of Cabinet and state ministers to Rs 1.51 crore and their tour expenses to Rs 46 crore.

The Manmohan Singh government proposes to cut down the provisions for salaries and tour expenses of ministers by reducing the budgetary grants.

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The budgetary provisions for the tour expenses, according to the Budget presented by the Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, have been put at Rs 46 crore only, which is Rs 42 crore less than compared to the last fiscal when the figure stood at Rs 88 crore.

According to the budgetary provision for the Ministry of Home Affairs, the salaries of Cabinet minister, minister of states and deputy ministers have been reduced to Rs 1.51 crore from previous year's Rs 2.91 crore.

Other allowances have also been reduced marginally from Rs 2.73 crore to Rs 2.55 crore.