Draft proposes concessional car loans for government staff, driver's salary if they drive themselves

A draft directive has proposed providing concessional loans to government employees to buy their own vehicles.

The provision is included in the draft 'Directive on Government Employees' Vehicle Management, 2083.' It is said to have been introduced as an alternative to the old practice of providing government vehicles to employees.

Under the draft, employees would receive loans ranging from 200,000 to 6 million rupees depending on their position and level.

The chief secretary, secretaries and officials at the twelfth level would be eligible for loans of up to 6 million rupees for four-wheelers. Joint secretaries or those at the eleventh level would have a limit of 5 million rupees, while deputy secretaries or those at the ninth-tenth level would have a limit of 4 million rupees.

Officers from the sixth to eighth level would get up to 400,000 rupees to buy two-wheelers, and assistant-level staff would get up to 200,000 rupees.

The same draft also proposes giving senior officials who drive themselves an amount equal to a driver's salary. The chief secretary, secretaries, and joint secretaries or equivalent officials would receive around 26,000 to 29,000 rupees in such cases. They would have the option of either hiring a driver or driving themselves.

The draft states that this provision would also apply when using a personal vehicle. It further proposes paying fuel and maintenance costs in cash to officials who drive themselves.

The arrangement will come into effect only after the proposal is passed.