THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government has asked officials to avail of foreign tours only in exceptional circumstances. The direction is part of a set of austerity guidelines issued by the Finance Department to various government departments and agencies.
Officials of government departments, boards, corporations, grant-in-aid institutions, autonomous institutions and universities should submit applications for foreign tour before four weeks of the scheduled journey. Journeys without advance sanction will not be ratified later. Officials should reduce land phone use and increase the use of mobile phone in the wake of cheaper rates. Offices have been asked to abstain from purchasing new vehicles and hire vehicles instead.