Odisha Govt Rationalises Official Vehicle Allocation Amid Fuel Concerns

Bhubaneswar: In the wake of the fuel and energy challenges triggered by the ongoing West Asia crisis, the Odisha government has announced several measures to rationalise the allotment and use of official vehicles.

According to an Office Memorandum issued by the Finance Department, officers holding the rank of Special Secretary and above will be entitled independent vehicles for official purposes. However, officers promoted to the rank of Additional Secretary on or after June 1, 2026, will be required to use vehicles on a pool basis. They will become eligible for an independent vehicle only after completing three years of service in the rank.

The restriction will not apply to Additional Secretaries who had already been allotted independent vehicles on or before May 31, 2026.

The government has also directed that officers from the ranks of Under Secretary to Joint Secretary, along with officers of equivalent rank in various Heads of Departments, will be provided with shared pool vehicles, with at least two to three officers sharing one vehicle.

To streamline expenses, the monthly deduction for using an official pool vehicle has been fixed at Rs 1,680, irrespective of an officer’s rank, in line with an earlier Finance Department memorandum.

In another cost-saving measure, officers undertaking official tours to distant locations within the state have been advised to travel by bus or rail wherever practicable, instead of using official vehicles.

The new guidelines will also be applicable to state government undertakings, autonomous institutions, universities and societies across Odisha.