New Delhi : About Rs 295 crore has been earmarked for expenditure on salaries and travel by Cabinet ministers, ministers of state and ex-prime ministers for the 2018-19 financial year, which is a reduction of 29 per cent from over Rs 400 crore allocated for the ongoing fiscal.

An outlay of Rs 295.81 crore has been made for the council of ministers to meet expenditure on salaries, sumptuary and other allowances and travel by Cabinet ministers, ministers of state and ex-prime ministers.

"This also includes provision for maintenance of aircraft utilised for VVIP travel," according to the budget presented today by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

A total of Rs 418.49 crore has been allocated for this purpose for 2017-18.

About Rs 59.81 crore has been earmarked for meeting the administrative expenses of Cabinet Secretariat and Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) during 2018-19.

There has been minor increase in budget for the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

A total of Rs 50.35 crore has been allocated for meeting the administrative expenses of the PMO during the next fiscal, up more than Rs 2 crore against Rs 48.23 crore for 2017-18.

A sum of Rs 5.22 crore has been allocated for expenditure on government hospitality and entertainment of foreign state guests, official entertainment arranged at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on behalf of the vice president and the prime minister, reception on national days, investiture and ceremonies for presentation of credentials, etc. during 2018-19.

The expenditure under this head for the ongoing financial year is Rs 5.07 crore.