One Officer, One Car: Centre Limits Officers To Avail Only One Official Vehicle

According to officials, the revised directive, issued by the Department of Expenditure through an Office Memorandum, strengthens the staff car guidelines first consolidated in September 2022. The move is aimed at ensuring that government vehicles are used strictly for official purposes without being used by family members, as duplication only gives opportunity to officers to use them for other purposes, they added.

Under the new norms, an officer already entitled to an official staff car will continue using the same vehicle even after taking charge of an additional ministry, department, PSU, or autonomous organisation. Ministries and departments have been categorically instructed not to sanction a second official vehicle in such cases, the officials said.

“The order also bars Central government officers from routinely using vehicles owned by PSUs, autonomous bodies, or quasi-government organisations. But a limited exception has been provided for official visits, allowing officers to use such vehicles only while carrying out government work at the organisation concerned,” a senior official said, adding that the Office Memorandum has been circulated to all ministries with directions for immediate adherence.

Promoting Prudent Use

The government said the policy is intended to promote prudent use of public resources, prevent the allocation of multiple official vehicles to a single officer, and bring greater transparency and accountability to administrative practices.

The officials believe the measure will also improve fleet management by reducing unnecessary duplication, lowering expenditure on fuel, maintenance and drivers, and ensuring optimal utilisation of government vehicles.

The decision is in line with the Centre's broader emphasis on rationalising government expenditure, improving operational efficiency, and strengthening financial governance. By restricting officers to a single official vehicle regardless of the number of posts they hold, the government aims to plug avoidable expenditure while reinforcing accountability in the use of public assets.

They said that the policy marks another step towards leaner governance, better resource management, and more efficient utilisation of taxpayer-funded assets, while sending a clear message that official privileges must remain aligned with principles of economy, transparency and administrative responsibility.

Advisory To Set Up QRTs

Meanwhile, in the wake of the controversy surrounding the alleged NEET paper leak and the rapid spread of misinformation on social media, the Centre has directed all the Secretaries of the Central ministries and departments to establish Quick Response Teams (QRTs) to detect and counter fake content in real time.

The directive, issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), requires every ministry to identify misleading or false information related to government policies and issue factual rebuttals within two hours of such content surfacing online.

According to sources, in an official communication to Secretaries of Departments, I&B Secretary Chanchal Kumar said that misinformation spreads rapidly on social media, and government responses must keep pace to prevent citizens from being misled. “QRTs may be set up in your Ministries/Departments to detect fake content on social media in real time,” a source said quoting the letter.