As Bengal reels under debt, Mamata tells officials to maintain austerity

Tightening austerity measures to keep her debt-stressed government going, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday directed officials to avoid wasteful expenditure, saying there was no scope for luxury with public money.

Three days after her government came out with 15-point circular announcing measures to curtail "avoidable expenditures, the Chief Minister presided over a high-level administrative meeting at the state secretariat Nabanna during the day to prepare a detailed roadmap on the matter.

"We discussed innovative measures to increase efficiency, the effectiveness of governance, austerity measures, curbing of wasteful expenditure," Banerjee told media persons after the meeting.

She said while her government won't compromise on public services, it would be more proactive in ensuring the effective utilisation of resources and manpower.

"There is no scope for luxury in government. This is people's money," she said.