Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Government policies and interventions
Why in News?
The Ministry of Finance has introduced a strict "One Officer, One Official Car" policy.
It was a move aimed at cutting wasteful spending and preventing misuse of official resources.
The revised rules make it clear that eligible officers cannot be allotted more than one government vehicle, even if they are handling additional responsibilities in another ministry, department, public sector undertaking (PSU) or autonomous body.
The new instructions have been issued by the Department of Expenditure through an office memorandum.
These are meant to ensure that government vehicles are used only for official purposes.
Under the revised norms, an officer who is already entitled to a government staff car will continue using the same vehicle, even if they take charge of another office or organisation.
Ministries and departments have been directed not to sanction an additional official vehicle in such cases.
The government has also barred central government officers from using vehicles belonging to PSUs, autonomous bodies or quasi-government organisations, except while travelling on authorised official duty or tours.
Departments have been told to ensure that unused or surplus vehicles remain in safe custody instead of being put to unofficial use.
The objective is to improve administrative efficiency, avoid duplication and promote better management of government resources.
The renewed emphasis is intended to strengthen fiscal discipline and ensure that taxpayer-funded resources are used responsibly across the Central government.
