(a) the steps taken by the Government to minimise the number of senior level officers after introduction of liberalisation policy which has left very little work for the bureaucrates;
(b) the number of bureaucratic posts in respective Departments/ Ministries which have been abolished during the last year; and
(c) the estimated annual saving on this account to the Government?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI BALASAHEB VIKHE PATIL)
(a), (b)&(c): An exercise to reduce posts by 10% with reference to the sanctioned strength as on 1.1.92 along with a review to abolish posts at the level of JS, was initiated in 1992. On the basis of this exercise, so far 135 posts at JS level have been abolished and on an overall basis, approximately 1.73 lakh posts under various Groups and various Ministries/Departments have been abolished so far. Since rationalising the workforce in Government is an ongoing exercise which impacts on Ministries, Departments, attached offices and subordinate offices, it is not possible to quantify the savings thereon. However, details of annual expenditure on pay and allowances of Govt. establishments are given every year in the Expenditure Budget Vol I presented to Parliament. Further, the Expenditure Reforms Commission has also been set up to review, inter-alia, the adequacy of staffing under the Central Government Ministries, attached offices and institutions keeping in view the functions required to be performed by them. The details of posts to be abolished in various Ministries /Departments and resultant savings based on the recommendations of the Expenditure Reforms Commission would be known after appropriate Government decisions are announced thereon.