Personal work in government cars? Haryana officials to pay Rs 1,000

State officials have been told to pay the amount for using government cars for personal work for up to 1,000 kilometres.

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New Delhi: All state officials in Haryana who plan to continue using government vehicles for personal work will now have to pay Rs 1,000 for the 'privilege.'

The decision to make state officials pay for using the vehicles for personal work was announced by the Haryana government on Friday. News agency ANI reported that administrative secretaries, MDs of Boards/Corporations, Head of Departments, OSD to CM and other officers can now officially use government vehicles for a maximum of 1,000 kilometres upon a payment of Rs 1,000 each month. The order came into effect from Thursday.

At a press conference, CM Manohar Lal Khattar was asked if the amount was a little too less considering the sky-high prices of fuel across the country. "Let them pay this first, then we will start taking out more from them. Is it easy to take out money from them?" he said in a reply given on a lighter vein.

State officials across the country have often been accused of using official machinery for their personal work. This is often in violation of their official code of conduct and many are now seeing Haryana government's move as a 'drive in the right and more accountable direction.'