India enacts One Officer One Car rule for officials

The Central government has directed all ministries and departments to enforce a strict "One Officer, One Official Car" policy, barring senior bureaucrats from being allotted multiple government vehicles even when they hold additional charges in other offices. The directive, issued by the Department of Expenditure under the Ministry of Finance, aims to curb misuse, eliminate duplication, and reduce public expenditure on official transport.

According to an Office Memorandum dated May 27, 2026, an officer already entitled to an official staff car for their regular post will not be provided with an additional vehicle if they take on additional charge of another ministry, department, public sector undertaking, or autonomous body. The officer must continue using their originally assigned car. The order also prohibits central government officials from retaining vehicles belonging to such government-linked organizations, except while on official tours or duty. Ministries have been instructed to keep any unutilized vehicles in safe custody.

The new rules reinforce and supplement comprehensive guidelines first issued by the Department of Expenditure in September 2022, which consolidated...