Centre Enforces ‘One Officer, One Official Car’ Policy to Address Vehicle Misuse
New Delhi: The Central government has mandated that all ministries and departments adhere to a "One Officer, One Official Car" policy for senior officials. This directive seeks to prevent the redundant allocation of government vehicles, curb misuse, enhance resource efficiency, and reduce unnecessary spending.
The directive was issued by the Department of Expenditure under the Ministry of Finance, documented in an Office Memorandum dated 27 May 2026 (No. 16(21)/E.Coord/2026). This builds on guidelines regarding the use of staff vehicles previously issued on 1 September 2022 (OM No. 18(23)/E.Coord-2021). The recent dissemination of these guidelines in late July 2026 has emphasized the need for rigorous compliance throughout the government.
The Office Memorandum outlines several provisions, including:
| An officer using an official staff car for their regular role will not receive an additional vehicle when holding an additional post in another Ministry/Department, Attached/Subordinate Office, Autonomous Body, or PSU. |
| Unutilised vehicles must be securely stored. |
| Government officials are restricted from keeping staff cars from PSUs or other bodies, except during official tours. |
The regulations have been distributed to all Union ministries and departments, financial advisers, and private secretaries to Union ministers for strict enforcement. Officials indicate that the policy firmly establishes a "one entitled officer, one official car" rule.
The government asserts that these measures are designed to optimize vehicle use, prevent the misuse of government transport, eliminate redundant allocations, enhance administrative efficiency, streamline transport management, and maintain fiscal discipline to reduce unnecessary transport expenses.
This initiative follows the 2022 Master Office Memorandum, which unified previous instructions on staff car usage in Central government offices. Under current rules, entitled officers may use official cars for limited personal reasons (up to 500 km monthly) by paying a fixed fee and forfeiting their standard transport allowance. The current instructions address loopholes that previously allowed officers with multiple roles to use more than one official vehicle.
All ministries and departments are instructed to promptly and strictly implement these guidelines. Vehicles no longer in regular use must be secured, minimizing unauthorized or informal usage. Restrictions on using vehicles from PSUs or autonomous bodies, except for official tours, further limit the practice of officers using cars from associated organizations.
This policy targets senior bureaucrats eligible for official staff cars and aligns with broader efforts to ensure economic and accountable use of public resources.
The Department of Expenditure has stressed that these directives, approved by the Secretary (Expenditure), require full compliance.
