'One Officer, One Official Car': Why Centre Barred Extra Vehicles For Officers Holding Additional Charge

Centre has tightened rules on the use of official vehicles, making it clear that an officer already entitled to a staff car cannot receive another vehicle while holding additional charge of another ministry, department, PSU or autonomous body. Finance Ministry also barred officials from keeping PSU vehicles and other organisations.

No second government car for officers with additional charge as Centre tightens vehicle rules (Representative photo)

Image Credit: AI image - Gemini

The Centre has tightened rules governing the use of official vehicles, making it clear that an officer already entitled to a government staff car cannot be given another vehicle simply because they have taken additional charge of another ministry, department or government organisation. The new instructions under 'One Officer, One Official Car' policy have been issued by the Department of Expenditure under the Ministry of Finance through an Office Memorandum. The move is aimed at preventing the misuse of government vehicles, avoiding duplication and ensuring that public money is used carefully.

The latest order builds on the Centre's detailed staff car guidelines issued in September 2022.

No second official car for additional charge

Under the revised instructions, an officer who is already using an official staff car for their regular post will not be given an additional government vehicle while holding an additional charge elsewhere.

This applies even when the additional responsibility is in another ministry or department, or in an attached or subordinate office, autonomous body or public sector undertaking (PSU).

In simple terms, an officer who already has an entitled staff car must continue using that vehicle. Taking on another government responsibility will not automatically mean getting a second official vehicle.

The rule is intended to stop multiple vehicles being assigned to the same officer and to make better use of the government's existing vehicle fleet.

Government vehicles cannot be kept for personal use

The memorandum also sets out rules on vehicles belonging to government organisations and other public bodies.

Central government officials will not be allowed to keep staff cars belonging to government undertakings, quasi-government organisations, autonomous organisations or PSUs at their disposal.

The exception is when such vehicles are being used during official tours.

This means that a vehicle belonging to another government organisation should not simply be kept available for an officer's regular use when they are not on an authorised tour.

The government has also directed that vehicles that are not being used should be kept in safe custody. They should not be left available for unofficial or unauthorised use.

Why the Centre has changed the rules

The main purpose of the latest instructions is to improve the way government vehicles are managed and reduce unnecessary spending.

Official vehicles involve several costs, including fuel, maintenance and other running expenses. If more vehicles are assigned than are actually needed, it can increase the burden on public funds.

The Centre's latest move is therefore focused on avoiding duplication and making sure that official transport is used only where it is required for government work.

The policy also seeks to prevent the misuse of vehicles by ensuring that officials do not have access to multiple government cars simply because they hold more than one position.

The "one officer, one official car" approach is expected to make the allocation of staff cars more straightforward across government departments.

Rules were consolidated in 2022

The latest memorandum is not a completely new set of staff car rules. It reinforces and adds to instructions that were consolidated by the Department of Expenditure on September 1, 2022.

The 2022 Master Office Memorandum brought together earlier instructions on the use of staff cars in Central government offices.

The latest order now reminds ministries and departments to follow these rules strictly and ensure that government vehicles are not unnecessarily assigned or kept at the disposal of officials.

The instructions have been issued with the approval of the Secretary (Expenditure).

What the new policy means

The latest directive sends a clear message about the government's approach to official transport.

An officer who is already entitled to a staff car will not get another government vehicle just because they have been given additional responsibility elsewhere.

At the same time, vehicles belonging to PSUs, autonomous bodies and other government-linked organisations cannot be kept for regular use by Central government officers, except during official tours.

Unused vehicles are also expected to be kept safely rather than being left open to possible misuse.

The government hopes the stricter approach will help reduce avoidable expenditure and improve the use of public resources.

The new instructions also place greater responsibility on ministries and departments to monitor their vehicle fleets and ensure that staff cars are being used according to the rules.

With the Centre now reiterating the 2022 guidelines, government departments have been asked to ensure compliance with the latest instructions. The move is part of a wider effort to bring greater discipline to the use of official resources and prevent government vehicles from being used beyond their intended purpose.