KATHMANDU, April 29: The government led by Balen Shah has reclaimed 622 government vehicles as part of a move to curb misuse of state resources and administrative irregularities.
The vehicles were taken back from employees and officials who had been using them without legal entitlement, often based on personal access and influence rather than formal provisions.
Police to act against unauthorized use of govt vehicles
According to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the vehicles were returned from various ministries, subordinate bodies and constitutional commissions. An internal probe conducted by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat found that even lower-level staff—who are not legally eligible—had been extensively using four-wheeler government vehicles.
As per existing regulations, only officials of gazetted first class or above are entitled to individual use of government vehicles. However, widespread misuse by ineligible personnel prompted the office to issue a circular on April 23 directing all agencies to immediately return such vehicles.
Under the revised arrangement, no employee or official will be allowed to use a government vehicle individually unless explicitly permitted by law. However, shared use of vehicles will still be allowed for official duties or in exceptional circumstances.
The government has stated that the decision is aimed at reducing excessive expenditure on fuel and maintenance, which had significantly burdened the state treasury. A detailed assessment of the financial losses caused by unauthorized vehicle use is also underway, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
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