Maharashtra stops printed newspapers for ministers, keeps CM exception
The Maharashtra government has decided to stop supplying printed newspapers and magazines to the offices and official residences of deputy chief ministers, ministers and ministers
The Maharashtra government has decided to stop supplying printed newspapers and magazines to the offices and official residences of deputy chief ministers, ministers and ministers of state from September 1. A Government Resolution issued by the General Administration Department said they will instead have to rely on online subscriptions. Under the new system, the cost of these online subscriptions will be paid by the ministers' respective administrative departments from available office expenditure provisions after bills are submitted.
The chief minister has been kept out of this change, and physical newspapers and magazines will continue to be supplied to the chief minister's office and official residence. Read Full Story The Government Resolution said the existing system, under which printed newspapers and periodicals were supplied through the General Administration Department, will be discontinued from September 1. It said this arrangement had been in place for several years, with the department procuring newspapers and magazines for ministers based on demand and settling the bills centrally.
Explaining the cost involved, a General Administration Department official told PTI, "Annual expenditure for all newspapers and periodicals was Rs 22 lakh. Out of it, CMO's bill used to be around Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 per month. Now, the GAD will bear only that cost. We have given one month period to the ministers. We will see how they respond." In effect, the move ends the centralised supply of printed newspapers and magazines for deputy chief ministers and ministers, while keeping the existing arrangement in place for the chief minister and shifting others to online subscriptions from September 1.
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