Cong’s Great Austerity Show: ‘We can fly even in cargo hold’

His colleague Power Minister Sushil Shinde said he was flying Economy to Delhi from Mumbai.

Party spokesman Manish Tiwari outdid both of them at least in word,if not in deed. He said that he — and all partymen — were ready to travel even in a “plane’s cargo hold.” For,what mattered was reaching the destination,not how.

And yet Mukherjee tried to downplay his Cabinet colleagues’ reservations over the austerity drive.

Speaking at the Indian Women’s Press Corps,Mukherjee said he had only “requested” Ministers and officials,entitled to Executive Class,to travel by Economy Class on domestic flights. And Executive rather than First Class on international flights.

As for MPs,he said he had no jurisdiction over them and had requested the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha chairperson to take appropriate decisions.

On events,Mukherjee said that official conferences in five-star hotels should be avoided.

“All ministries,External Affairs and my Ministry have their own conference halls apart from Vigyan Bhawan and Hyderabad House… That does not mean lunch or dinners should not be held in hotels for visiting dignitaries,” he said.

He added that the meetings of Parliamentary Committees should be held in New Delhi and only three committees — Committee on Public Expenditure,Estimates Committee and Committee on Public Undertakings — are exempted from holding them in the city.

On salary cuts for MPs and Ministers,Mukherjee said it was the Congress party’s recommendation to its members and other political parties have to take their own decisions.