Srinagar, Sep 30 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather on Wednesday directed the government to notify the revised car policy within 15 days.
The direction from the assembly speaker came during the discussion on the implementation of the ‘One officer, One car’ policy. The speaker questioned the delay in notifying the policy as he maintained that it was an issue concerning public assets.
The speaker said the issue involved the use of public resources and could not be kept pending any longer.
He directed Transport Minister Satish Sharma to ensure that the necessary policy is notified within 15 days.
He also questioned why it had taken nearly five years to act on the matter, stressing that such a delay amounted to the misuse of public resources.
It may be recalled that the Ministry of Finance’s Department of Expenditure introduced the ‘One Officer, One Official Car’ policy to stop senior bureaucrats from getting multiple government vehicles.
According to the revised policy, eligible officers get only one official staff car, even if they manage extra charges in another department, ministry, public sector undertaking (PSU), or autonomous body.
Central government officers cannot use staff cars from PSUs or autonomous bodies unless they are on an authorised official tour.
Departments must put unused or extra vehicles in safe custody instead of letting people use them unofficially. The revised policy cuts wasteful spending on fuel and maintenance, prevents resource misuse, and builds fiscal discipline.
Before this mandate, senior bureaucrats holding additional or temporary charges across multiple ministries or Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) often received separate staff cars from each department.
A single official could end up with two or three active vehicles. According to financial assessments, maintaining and servicing just one government vehicle costs roughly Rs 3.37 lakh annually.
Furthermore, officers with multiple vehicles frequently exceeded the standard 250-litre monthly fuel allowance, consuming up to 750 litres across their fleet.
The directive, formalised via an Official Memorandum, operates on three main pillars: Strict Single-Vehicle Cap: An officer already using an official car for their regular post cannot be given an additional vehicle when taking on an additional charge in another ministry, subordinate office, or autonomous body. They must continue using their primary vehicle for all tasks.
Ban on PSU Fleet Misuse: Central government officials are strictly barred from keeping or using staff cars belonging to PSUs, quasi-government organisations, or autonomous bodies. The only exception is when they are on an authorised official tour or duty.
Mandatory Storage of Surplus Cars: To prevent personal or unofficial use, departments must place all extra or unutilized vehicles into safe custody.
Green Shift: Alongside resource optimisation, the framework actively encourages departments to lease electric vehicles to replace older components of the official fleet.
–IANS
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