MUMBAI, May 14 -- Cultural affairs minister Ashish Shelar will not be going to Cannes, and 22 legislators may have to forfeit a study tour in Japan. These are some of the austerity measures being taken by the state government after the prime minister appealed to governments and citizens to limit foreign travel and work from home to save fuel amid surging energy prices due to the West Asia crisis. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed ministers not to use government aircraft, except for urgent business. Even this would require him to personally sign off on such requests. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule was quick to fall in step with the austerity drive. "I have started conducting official meetings online without summoning district collectors and officials to Mumbai. I personally do not travel by flight except for very urgent tours, and even those happen only four or five times a year," he said. Fisheries and port development minister Nitesh Rane too has switched to virtual meetings. "He has also asked offices to switch to electric vehicles, as appealed by the PM," an official from his office said. Austerity has cut a little deeper for cultural affairs minister Ashish Shelar, who was to travel to France for the Cannes Film Festival. Shelar, who was to represent a delegation of officials and people from the film and entertainment industry, will now participate virtually. So far, the government has not rolled out a formal policy after the PM's appeal, so decisions by the administration to rein in travel are ad hoc. However, opposition has slammed the state government,...