It is an open secret that many officers who are entitled to use official vehicles during the discharge of their official duties misuse them. More often than not, these vehicles are used by them for sending and bringing their offspring to their educational institutions where they study. These vehicles are also seen to be used by their better half for off and on shopping from the markets. A lot of money out of national exchequer thus go down the drain which can be saved if instead of earmarking official vehicles for them they are given a reasonable amount as transport allowance merged in their monthly pay.
There is also a need for discouraging purchase of official vehicles of prohibitive cost for the Ministers .Manmohan Singh was once Prime minister of India. His official car which had spent its life was to be replaced by a new one. When a summary was put up to him seeking his permission for buying a Mercedes he turned it down saying that if after all a new car is really needed for the PM why to go for buying a very costly car and why not purchase Indian made car known as Ambassador which was much cheaper than the Mercedes and so instead of Mercedes , Ambassador was bought.
POST SCRIPT
Never a day goes by when one doesn’t come across instances of double dealings on the part of Washington in international affairs. Seizure of American made weaponry from some terrorists recently in KPK is a case in point. On the one hand, while playing to the gallery the American leadership talks against the terrorists who have blown to smithereens the law and order of this country but on the other American weaponry is being used by these very terrorists in sabotage activity in this country.
( Opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect WNAM’s editorial policy).
