Sonia Gandhi writes to PM: Government must reduce unneccesary expenditure on functions at memorials

NEW DELHI: Congress president Sonia Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking the Government to cut down unnecessary expenditure by avoiding ostentatious displays during functions organized at memorials of leaders in Delhi.

In her letter to Singh, Gandhi also wanted steps to be taken to ensure that there was minimum inconvenience to the public on such occassions, a senior party leader said adding that the communication was sent about a month back.

"The import of the letter is that the expenditure on such programmes should be minimized. Gandhi wanted that instead of creating a pomp and show, it will be better if sincere people go there out of genuine feelings," the leader said.

Such functions are orgnaized by the government on the birth and death anniversaries at a number of memorials in Delhi including Rajghat of (Mahatma Gandhi), Veerbhumi (Rajiv Gandhi), Shanti Van (Jawaharlal Nehru), Shakti Sthal (Indira Gandhi) and (Vijay Ghat)of Lal Bahadur Shastri.

There has been some criticism in the past of the government spending huge money on advertisements by ministries and departments to mark some of these anniversaries.