Chennai
The Tamil Nadu government has instructed officials to immediately hand over government vehicles that are in excess of their authorised use, following a recent media report on alleged misuse.
The state has more than 15,000 vehicles across 41 departments. The report said several IAS officers were using department-allotted vehicles for personal purposes, with some reportedly having up to four cars in use.
The report also alleged that government cars and jeeps were being used to transport bribe money, and that fake fuel bills were raised even for vehicles that were not in use. Monthly fuel expenditure for government vehicles alone was cited at around Rs 25 crore, with the government expected to reduce costs by streamlining vehicle use.
As part of the new restrictions, IAS officers have been told to use only vehicles provided through the public sector and to hand over vehicles kept at offices and residences to their department headquarters without delay. Following the directive, officials in Chennai have reportedly sent back vehicles from several department offices.
Non-IAS officials have also been asked to submit details of vehicles in their possession. Multiple-vehicle usage has reportedly been identified in departments including Revenue, Rural Development, Municipal Administration, Water Resources, Public Works and Highways.
