Srinagar, Sep 30: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather on Wednesday questioned the government over the delay in framing a new vehicle policy, saying it was “a big matter of concern” that five years had passed since the government decided to formulate a fresh policy.
During the Assembly session, Rather said he had sought a status report from the concerned minister on the issue and had received the report on the same day the matter came up for discussion.
“I want to share this with you. Tell me, look at what it says,” Rather said while reading out the government’s report.
According to the report, the government had notified the car vehicle policy in 2015 through Government Order No. 02-TR of 2015, dated January 12, 2015. The policy prescribed vehicle entitlements for Cabinet ministers and other government functionaries, along with corresponding price ceilings.
“However, with the passage of time, the said car policy has become outdated,” the report stated, noting that the prescribed price ceilings had been fixed in 2015.
Rather said the department had informed him that the existing policy could no longer be implemented in its present form because vehicle prices and other related costs had increased.
He said the government had taken a decision in 2021 to formulate a new vehicle policy, but no new policy had been framed since then.
“From 2021 to 2026, the policy has not been made. You will feel the pain—I got very angry,” Rather said.
“Angry because it will take you five years to make a vehicle policy. This is a matter of great regret,” he added.
Rather also flagged the use of more than one vehicle by some officers, saying the issue had “big implications” and needed to be examined carefully.
“Like I said earlier, there are big implications. It is crucial that this is looked into. More than one vehicle is being used by officers,” he said.
The government report said the General Administration Department had constituted a committee for formulation of a new car policy. The committee comprises the Administrative Secretary, General Administration Department, as chairman, and the Administrative Secretaries of the Transport Department and Hospitality and Protocol Department as members.
Rather said he had made certain observations on the issue and that the minister had subsequently sent him the report in response.
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