London:  Boris Johnson, the newly elected mayor of London, is likely to close down Greater London Authority's offices in New Delhi and Mumbai that were opened by his predecessor, Ken Livingstone, as part of a cost-cutting drive.

The offices called London India Offices , were launched in November 2007 during Livingstone's visit to India, were set up to promote trade relations between London and India.

Johnson, who trounced Livingstone in the May 1 mayoral elections, has launched a review whether the GLA's international offices perform a useful strategic function and represent value for money.

The GLA currently funds six offices in Caracas, New Delhi, Mumbai, Beijing, Shanghai and Brussels and employs a consultant in Moscow.

The cost of maintaining the two offices in India for 2008-09 was 371,021 pounds, according to the mayor's office.

"We have started the process of considering which of the Greater London Authority s international offices perform a useful strategic function and deliver value for money," Johnson said.

Source : PTI