Govt asks all Departments to stop spending on Deepavali gifts to enhance “judicious use of public resources”

Even as the government is encouraging the people to celebrate the ‘GST bachat utsav’ in light of the cut in rates of the Goods and Services Tax, it has also instructed all Ministries, Departments and other bodies of the Government of India to desist from incurring any expenditure on gifts for Deepavali and other festivals.

“The Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure has been issuing instructions from time to time aimed at promoting fiscal discipline and curbing non-essential expenditure,” the Department of Expenditure said in an office memorandum issued to all the Secretaries in the Government of India, dated September 19.

“In continuation of these efforts and in the interest of prudent and judicious use of public resources, it has been decided that no expenditure shall be incurred on gifts and related items for Deepavali and other festivals by Ministries/Departments and other organs of the Government of India,” it added.

The Government had last issued such instructions in September 2020 when it had instructed all government departments and Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) to stop the printing and distribution of calendars, diaries, festive greeting cards, and coffee table books in a bid to reduce government expenditure during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In December 2022, it relaxed this to allow the re-printing of calendars.