Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala government, facing a serious financial squeeze, will tighten the belt as the budget is presented. Stressing austerity practices, finance minister Dr T M Thomas Isaac asserts that ministers will no longer be provided with luxury cars.
Besides, government phone connections including those of ministers could be shifted to cheaper packages. There will be no bar on creating new posts, but those that have become out of date will be scrapped.
Isaac, who has shifted to the Vizhinjam Guest House to prepare the budget, said the unchecked craze for luxury cars will no longer be allowed. What is important is not just how much money has been spent, but the message that it conveys.
He said a review is in progress about posts that have become out of date.
The minister promised a budget speech that won't stretch beyond 90 minutes, adding that the budget will also be limited, like the expenditure.