PATNA; The Bihar government has decided to increase the vehicle purchasing limit for ministers by Rs 5 lakh.
According to a notification issued by Lokesh Kumar, secretary of the Finance department (Resource division) on Monday evening, the Cabinet ministers of Bihar government are now eligible to travel in vehicles having price up to Rs 30 lakh.
Earlier, they were eligible to travel in vehicles allotted by the state government having price less than Rs 25 lakh, which was passed by the state government in a notification in February 2020.
Sources said that some of the automobile companies have raised the prices of SUVs above Rs 25 lakh. Besides, some of the vehicles have starting prices around Rs 30 lakh.
Apart from cabinet ministers, the judges of Patna High Court and other officials having similar posts can also purchase vehicles costing Rs 30 lakh.
Besides them, the officers in a rank of Additional Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary and Secretary-level officer are entitled to travel in the vehicles having price up to Rs 20 lakh.
The officers in the rank of Divisional Commissioners and District Magistrates can travel in vehicles having price up to 18 lakh. District judges, Superintendent of Police and similar category officers can travel on vehicles having price up to Rs 13 lakh and other lower officers in a rank of SDM, DSP, and others can travel in a vehicle having price not more than Rs 11 lakh.
As per the provision, these ministers, judges and officials are entitled to get vehicles facilitated by the state government.