TN govt fixes Rs 26 lakh car purchase ceiling for ministers, Rs 15 lakh for MLAs

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has fixed a ceiling of Rs 26 lakh for purchasing official cars for ministers and senior legislative functionaries, while setting a Rs 15 lakh limit for other MLAs under revised rules governing vehicle entitlements.

The changes have been notified through a new gazette amending the travelling allowance rules applicable to members of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

The notification lays down purchase limits, procurement procedures, ownership arrangements and conditions for returning government vehicles.

Apart from ministers, the Rs 26 lakh ceiling will apply to the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Leader of the Opposition and Government Chief Whip. All other Assembly members will be eligible for vehicles costing up to Rs 15 lakh.

The prescribed limits cover the total purchase cost, including the vehicle’s ex-showroom price, taxes, registration charges and motor insurance premiums.

These expenses must therefore be accommodated within the applicable ceiling, rather than treated as additional payments. The government order also provides for a five per cent annual increase in the purchase ceilings, allowing the permissible expenditure to rise each year.

Vehicles allotted to ministers will be purchased by the Tamil Nadu government in its own name. Procurement for the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Leader of the Opposition, Government Chief Whip and other legislators will be handled through the Assembly Secretariat.

All vehicles purchased under the amended rules must comply with Bharat Stage VI emission standards. Purchases must be made through the Union government’s Government e-Marketplace, or GeM, portal, according to the notification.

Ministers must return their allotted vehicles to the government when they leave office, complete their tenure or lose their positions for reasons including disqualification. Similar provisions governing the return of vehicles have been prescribed for the Speaker and other eligible office-holders.

For ordinary MLAs, expenditure on vehicle upkeep, repairs, fuel and driving will have to be met from the vehicle allowance payable to them under the applicable rules. The amended provisions thus distinguish the purchase of vehicles from the recurring expenses associated with their use.

The government order introducing the amendments was issued by Public Department Secretary E. Sundaravalli. The revised framework specifies both the financial entitlement of each category of legislator and the administrative responsibility for procuring vehicles, while making continued possession subject to the conditions attached to holding the relevant office.