Haryana government hires taxi agency for officials

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 26

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To restrict the use of official vehicles, the state government has put in place a transparent system by roping in a New Delhi-based private taxi agency which will provide officers with vehicles for official meetings, conferences and seminars, in the national capital.

Now, an officer requiring taxi service for some official work will inform the Office of the Resident Commissioner, Haryana Bhavan, New Delhi, at least a day in advance.

The Office of the Resident Commissioner will, in turn, inform the officer concerned about the taxi’s registration number, and driver’s name and mobile number.

“The officer after performing local journey and before the relieving the taxi will sign a log slip which will indicate kms covered and time taken for the journey,” stated an order of the Office of the Chief Secretary.

The order stated the taxi agency would send the bill to the Resident Commissioner’s Office within a week. The Resident Commissioner’s Office will send the bill to the department concerned with three days. “The department will make the payment to the taxi agency within three days,” the order added.

Sources say the chance of manipulating the log slips will be minimised because officers undertaking the journey will be required to fill them out. Since the department concerned will make the payment to the agency, the manipulation of the details of the journey by officers will be eliminated, they said.

Besides, the state government will save on travelling allowance of the drivers of official vehicles, who accompany officers for the official work.