Ministers would now require clearance from the Maharashtra CM Fadnavis' office before flying for official work unless the matter was extremely urgent. (ANI) Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for austerity measures amid the ongoing West Asia crisis, the Maharashtra government has directed ministers to obtain prior approval from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis before using aircraft for official travel. Senior BJP leader and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said Tuesday that ministers would now require clearance from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) before flying for official work unless the matter was extremely urgent. “The Chief Minister has instructed that ministers cannot use aircraft without his prior approval. If I have to go somewhere urgently, I use an aircraft. I fly only four or five times a year for urgent work,” Bawankule told reporters. He clarified, however, that Fadnavis himself would continue to use aircraft because of his packed administrative schedule.…