Officials at the Chennai Secretariat say day-to-day expenses in ministers’ offices have risen sharply, creating pressure on departments to meet costs that are not adequately covered through government allocations.
Each minister has a dedicated room at the Secretariat, staffed by assistants and ministry personnel. Depending on the number of visitors meeting the minister, offices routinely provide drinking water, tea, coffee and snacks, and in some cases meals.
According to officials, the burden of these expenses often falls on engineers and other departmental officers. They estimate that a single minister’s office can incur monthly costs of about Rs 2 lakh to Rs 4 lakh.
They noted that during a previous DMK government, lunch service in ministerial offices was curtailed to control spending. However, after the current TVK government took charge, more people have been visiting ministers, increasing costs for bottled water, tea and biscuits, while food for party workers and supporters present in offices has also become common.
Officials warned that expenses could multiply during the budget session when ministerial rooms are crowded, potentially pushing costs to around Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh per minister’s office. They called for tighter controls and a separate budget allocation, noting that current approval for tea and coffee—around Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000 a month—is insufficient even for a day’s spending.
