Northeast Desk, 1st October: The Sikkim Government has reaffirmed its commitment to stringent compliance measures aimed at curbing the misuse of government vehicles by officials. This decision follows ongoing reports of misuse, despite previous directives, and is particularly underscored by a recent accident involving a government vehicle that resulted in a fatality.
In a newly issued notification, the government outlined that government vehicles can only be operated by designated officers who possess a valid driving license or by authorized drivers. Law enforcement agencies are tasked with enforcing this mandate at various checkpoints, where they will issue challans for violations and report discrepancies to the heads of relevant departments.
The notification explicitly prohibits the handling and driving of government vehicles by children, family members, relatives, or friends of officials, including activities like driving lessons, rallies, or any other purposes deemed as misuse. Any violations will result in disciplinary action.
The notification emphasizes that the responsible use of government vehicles rests solely with the concerned officer. Furthermore, officers will be held financially accountable for the repair and maintenance of the vehicles and any repercussions arising from unauthorized use.
In an important update, all state government officers are required to return attached vehicles to their respective departments within 15 days of retirement, superseding the previous Circular No. Home/Protocol/2022/353, dated September 28, 2022.
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