Bhubaneswar, Jun 12: The Odisha government has issued fresh guidelines regulating the use of official vehicles in response to “fuel and energy challenges” triggered by the ongoing West Asia crisis, officials said on Friday.

The Finance Department’s memorandum, released on Thursday, mandates stricter norms for allotment and usage of government vehicles across departments and institutions.

According to the directive, only officials in the rank of special secretary will be entitled to an independent vehicle for official purposes. Officers promoted to the rank of additional secretary on or after June 1 will be required to use vehicles on a pool basis, becoming eligible for an independent vehicle only after completing three years in the rank. However, those who had already been allotted independent vehicles before May 31 will continue to retain them.

The memorandum further clarified that officers in the rank of under secretary to joint secretary, as well as heads of departments of equivalent rank, may be provided pool vehicles. At least two to three officers are expected to share one pool vehicle.

A monthly deduction of Rs1,680 has been prescribed for the use of pool vehicles, irrespective of the officer’s rank. For official visits to distant locations within the state, the government has advised officers to use buses or trains “as far as practicable” instead of official vehicles.

The instructions will also apply mutatis mutandis to all state government undertakings, autonomous institutions, universities, and societies across Odisha. Officials said the move is aimed at conserving fuel and energy resources at a time of global uncertainty.

The memorandum underscores the government’s attempt to balance administrative efficiency with responsible resource management, setting a precedent for austerity measures across state institutions.