Centre Introduces New Rule for Government Vehicles

The Central Government has introduced a significant reform in the use of official vehicles by implementing a 'One Officer, One Official Car' policy. In fresh orders issued by the Department of Expenditure under the Ministry of Finance, it has been made clear that senior officials holding additional responsibilities will no longer be entitled to an extra government vehicle. Officers already eligible for an official car must use the same vehicle even if they are assigned additional duties in another ministry, department, public sector undertaking (PSU), or autonomous body.

The government has also prohibited the use of vehicles belonging to PSUs, autonomous organisations, and other semi-government bodies for personal purposes. Such vehicles may only be used for official duties and approved travel. Departments have been instructed to securely maintain unused or surplus vehicles. According to the Centre, the objective of the new policy is to improve transparency in vehicle management, reduce unnecessary expenditure, prevent misuse of public resources, and ensure efficient utilisation of government assets. The rules apply primarily to Central Government officials and do not directly affect vehicle entitlements of MPs, MLAs, or Ministers.