Govt officials in Karnataka can now buy higher-end cars

Highlights

• The state government, through an order on Thursday, almost doubled the cost limit for certain higher levels of bureaucrats to purchase official vehicles, adding to the burden on the exchequer.

  The order, issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms undersecretary, states that senior officials, starting from the additional chief secretary, principal Secretary and heads of various departments, can now buy more expensive cars with the enhanced limit.

• The additional chief secretary, principal secretary, secretary and secretary-rank officials can now buy cars costing up to Rs 20 lakh, while the earlier limits was Rs 14 lakh. Similarly, deputy commissioners, chief executive officers of zilla panchayats, session court judges, superintendents of police and city police commissioners can now buy cars for Rs 18 lakh, while the previous ceiling was Rs 9 lakh.

• Senior police and other officials at the district level can buy vehicles for Rs 12.5 lakh, up from Rs 6.5 lakh, while other senior officials at the tahsildar rank can go up to Rs 9 lakh. All the prices announced exclude many taxes.

• A senior DPAR official,requesting anonymity, said there was a demand to increase the price limits for vehicles, especially high-end cars. “It had been more than five years since we had revised the limits. This order is not applicable to ministers and other cabinet rank political leaders,” he added.

• Karnataka State Government Employees’ Association president Shadakshari said this is a routine exercise.

  “As the cost of cars has increased and the government’s fixed price was making it difficult for officials to buy at that rate, the government revised it” he added.

• But other government officials said, “The state witnessed a big dip in revenues over the last two years, especially last year. There are many essentials that need to be taken care of on priority, including the recruitment of staff and clearing of contractors’ pending bills. Over 2.5 lakh posts in government departments are lying vacant, forcing the existing staff to put in additional hours. This was not needed at present,” said a senior official from the secretariat.