Govt to hire cars instead of buying

Wasteful, unofficial use to be checked

Amid concerns over the growing number of vehicles in the city, the Delhi government is preparing to virtually ban purchase of new vehicles by all departments.

Instead of purchasing new vehicles, the government wants to make do with hired vehicles for office use, said an official in finance department.

New vehicles would be purchased only in exceptional circumstances like ambulances or for ministers and senior officials.

“The government is also planning to strictly enforce the rules providing official vehicles and only entitled officials would get the facility from now on,” said an official.

The instructions on vehicles issued at the behest of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said: “It has been analysed in the Finance department that it is far more economical to hire vehicles rather than purchase and operate.”

A maximum monthly expenditure limit for hire and purchase facility in all departments has been fixed at Rs 35,000 per vehicle per month and Rs 45,000 per vehicle per month.

Giving freedom to administrative secretaries of the department to engage cabs, Sisodia’s office has said that before taking a decision the Finance department’s approval should be taken by each department.

To check wasteful expenditure and misuse of official vehicles, Sisodia’s office has advised all departments to enforce “strict economy” in government expenditure.

The Finance department has also advised all wings that only officials entitled to staff should be offered the facility and if they do so they would not be entitled to transport allowance.

Sisodia’s office has also warned against misuse of office vehicles. “The departments shall also ensure that the hired vehicles are used for the purpose for which the same are hired,” said a note circulated by a special secretary.

At a time when the National Green Tribunal has directed the Delhi government to stop buying new diesel cars, there is growing concern over the increase in vehicle numbers in the city.

On an average, 441 cars and jeeps were registered daily in the city in 2014.  An additional 1.61 lakh new cars and jeeps were added to the city’s vehicular population in 2014, according to the latest Statistical Hand Book 2015.

In 2014-15, the number of registered cars and jeeps – which form the bulk of private vehicles in the city – was 27,90,566 while the figure stood at 26,29,343 in 2013-14.