New Delhi: Struggling with finances, the Congress has asked its office bearers to undertake austerity measures and cut their expenses. A letter written by party treasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal to the office bearers and secretaries of the party has asked them to be in their assigned states. No airfare will be given to the office bearers for a journey up to 1400 km and beyond that the lowest airfare will be provided while the general secretaries and MPs will meet their expenses.
The letter from Bansal says: "The AICC secretaries ould spend at least 15-20 days in their respective states . Accordingly, the headquarters of the AICC secretaries is shifted to the states they are assigned to. However, they are provided with work stations during their occasional visits to the AICC headquarters for meetings, consultations etc."
The letter says that the secretaries, AICC would be reimbursed train fare up to 1400 km. For a distance above 1400 km the secretaries would be given the lowest air fare. The air fare will be given twice in a month only. If the train fare is more than the air fare, they may choose to travel by air. General secretaries/in-charges who are Members of Parliament are requested to use their air facility for travelling.
"Expenses on canteen, stationary, electricity, newspapers, fuel etc. should be minimized by the AICC office-bearers themselves. All AICC general secretaries/in-charges, ICC secretaries, chiefs of frontal organisations, heads of departments/cells, canteen & computer peripherals: General secretaries/in-charges, frontal chiefs, heads of departments and cells located in AICC campus may please designate one of their staff members to be responsible for signing the requirements and give a weekly account to the accounts officer in the office of treasurer."
"When out of office, electric gadgets be please switched off to save power. It is requested that the office-bearers and senior leaders may please cooperate and see that the above guidelines are complied with. The AICC general secretaries/in-charges are also requested to suggest further cost-cutting measures, they deem desirable," Bansal wrote.
A detailed report by the Association for Democratic Reforms shows that the Bharatiya Janata Party has received the highest amount of donations by electoral trusts (ET) in the fiscal year 2021-22. The total amount (Rs 351.50 cr) received by the party from various ETs makes up 72.17 per cent of the total donations received by all political parties.
