MUMBAI, May 21: While the general public may look askance at elected representatives rushing off abroad for whatever reason, there is a class of people which doesn't suffer any discomfort.

For hundreds of Mantralaya employees, it's holiday time as both Chief Minister Manohar Joshi and chief secretary Dinesh Afzalpurkar are away on a foreign tour.``Top bureaucrats are relaxed as there are fewer official meetings. More important is the fact till they return, one need not be punctual,'' said a senior official.

He added, ``No one can beat Joshi's punctuality. He is in the habit of taking officials to task for reporting late for a meeting as he is always ahead of time.''

Joshi's security staff is more happy. ``As Mantralaya is now virtually deserted, there is less pressure on us,'' said an official of the Home Department. Accompanied by PWD Minister Nitin Gadkari, Afzalpurkar and industries commissioner Yeshwant Bhave, the Chief Minister left on a foreign tour on Monday for 13 days while Revenue Minister Narayan Rane left for Denmark on an official visit from Tuesday.

Two more ministers -- Rural Development Minister Anna Dange and Finance Minister Eknath Khadse will soon leave for the Netherlands and France. Most of the other ministers, barring those who are permanent residents of Mumbai, will be in their own districts.

Employment Guarantee Minister Haribhau Bagde and Housing Minister Chandrakant Khaire are in Aurangbad, and Social Welfare Minister Baban Gholap and Health Minister Daulatrao Aher are in Nasik. Agriculture Minister Radha Krishna Vikhe Patil is in Shirdi, campaigning for his own by-election and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Shobhatai Phadanavis is in her home town Chandrapur.

In Joshi's absence, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde holds the fort while the work of Afzalpurkar is being looked after by additional chief secretary P Subramaniam. But even Munde'a official programme has him shunting between Mumbai and his hometown of Parli in Marathwada.

Among bureaucrats, water conservation secretary N R Rangnathan is on an official visit to Washington to negotiate for a World Bank-aided drinking water project.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.