Government officials in Madhya Pradesh have been mostly banned from taking foreign trips as part of new expenditure control measures taken by the state government.
The state Department of Finance released its spending control guidelines for 2026-27 and 2027-28 on Friday evening.
The new directive comes against the backdrop of the state $5.61 lakh crore debt burden.
A circular issued to department heads, collectors, commissioners, and heads of institutions and bodies stated that foreign trips will be prohibited except in rare cases where the center or other institutions bear their costs. She said officials will now only be eligible to travel economy class for official business within India for the next two years.
The order added that new development projects will be opened without any celebration.
The guidelines also prohibit the printing of calendars and memos by government departments, boards and companies. Workshops and seminars in hotels or private institutions have also been banned.
In order to further reduce costs, the number of government vehicles will be reduced. “If two or more officers are traveling to the same location, only one vehicle shall be used. Officers with additional staff vehicles shall hand them over,” the order states.
The state’s debt continues to rise. On July 8, the government borrowed an additional amount $3,600 crore, taking the total borrowing in the current financial year to $17,400 crores.
