Kerala Govt tells Motor Vehicles Department to reduce vehicle use

Thiruvananthapuram: In a strange twist of irony, the Kerala Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) has been instructed to reduce the use of official vehicles in view of the financial crisis faced by the state government.

however, no official circular has been issued for the purpose. Instead, a WhatsApp message to MVD officers clarified that there were limits to the funds for fuel and maintenance for vehicles. In order to reduce the need for repairs of official vehicles, officers have been instructed to use MVD vehicles sparingly.

Meanwhile, the official vehicles in several MVD offices have not been used for a month now as the fuel bills have not been approved. The finance department has told the MVD that fuel and maintenance bills cannot be approved owing to a shortage of funds. In a normal situation, the state government does not place limits on the fuel bills for police and MVD departments.

Incidentally, MVD is one of the departments that earn high revenue for the state government and the restriction on vehicle use is expected to adversely affect its performance. Moreover, MVD officers have raised concerns that a cut in fuel purchases would affect their field duties such as routine vehicle checks and inspections.

When contacted, Transport Commissioner S Sreejith said that there was nothing unusual about the latest instruction. “Funds for fuel used by MVD's enforcement wing are allotted by Road Safety Authorities; the state government shoulders the rest. The present delay in clearing bills is only a natural,” he said.