PANAJI
Twenty days after the State government directed all departments to hire vehicles through open tenders or quotations with prior approval from the Finance Department, there’s little change in curbing the misuse of government vehicles.
Internal sources told The Goan that the Finance Department has not received requests from departments seeking prior approval for hiring vehicles.
Moreover, there’s no record of any officer returning the ‘fixed transport allowance’ (TA), which stipulates that it should not be claimed if government vehicles are used beyond official purposes.
“We have received verbal complaints that private vehicles are frequently hired from relatives or acquaintances of officials as well as some elected representatives. These get guaranteed minimum mileage payments whereas any additional mileage is billed at higher rates,” the source revealed.
Amid rampant misuse of vehicles even by the non-eligible staff, the government also decided to ensure mandatory display of stickers on all hired vehicles, clearly identifying them as rented for government use. With many operating in blatant violation, the authorities will now be collecting evidence to crack down on the misuse.
“We found that many departments simply place temporary cards on the dashboard. These vehicles are used incognito for private purposes,” he added.
Another requirement is that milometer readings must be logged daily including details of the destination, purpose, and distance of each official journey. Since the vehicles are fully rented for government use, the readings at the start and end of each day should match, but in the absence of regular monitoring, these records are reportedly being manipulated to cover personal use.
“All these will not be tolerated any longer. We have already begun collecting details and proof against such cars,” the source added. Major departments like PWD, WRD, Electricity, Police among others are being kept a close watch.
The issue is not new. A 2018 circular issued by then Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma banned officers who are provided with government or hired vehicles from claiming TA. However, the practice reportedly continues unabated.
“The officers who are using official/hired vehicles for their transportation from the residence to office and vice versa are claiming TA though they are not entitled… complaints of non-entitled for claim of transport allowances should be immediately investigated by the concerned departments,” he had directed, in the October 17, 2018-circular to curb misuse of vehicles and misuse of funds.
The Goan spoke to a senior bureaucrat with the department, who could only confirm that the latest circular dated September 5, 2024 is an ongoing process. “Everything is in the public domain. The files might be in the process...however appropriate action to any violation will follow,” he said.
