BHUBANESWAR: The state government has rationalized the allocation and use of official vehicles for government officers in view of the prevailing fuel and energy challenges arising out of the West Asian crisis.
According to the Finance Department’s guidance, officials with the rank of special secretary and above will continue to be entitled to independent official vehicles for official purposes. However, officers promoted to the rank of Additional Secretary on or after June 1, 2026, will be required to use official vehicles on a batch basis. They will be eligible for an independent vehicle only after completing three years of service in the same rank. Those already allocated independent official vehicles on or before May 31 will remain exempt from this condition.
Likewise, according to the revised norms, officers from the rank of undersecretary to joint secretary who work in administrative quarters, as well as officers with equivalent ranks who serve in various department heads, will be provided with swimming pool facilities. The department has mandated that at least two to three officers must share a single pool car.
It further stipulated that a uniform monthly deduction of `1,680 will be made by officers using pool vehicles, irrespective of their rank, in accordance with the existing provisions of the government. The government advised officers to travel by bus or rail, as far as possible, during official tours to remote places within the state, instead of using official vehicles.
