Thiruvananthapuram: The Finance Department has asked other departments and government-aided institutions to avoid using five-star facilities to conduct seminars, workshops and training programmes.

With the state staring at a financial crisis, the department issued a directive to reduce the expenditure. If the instruction is violated, the cost along with interest would be recovered from the officials, the directive said.

Government departments, grant-in-aid institutions, local bodies and government-aided institutions should make maximum use of the facilities under them while organising programmes, the finance department said.

In unavoidable circumstances the secretary of the department concerned may grant relaxation of the condition, the directive said.