The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly witnessed a rare moment of accountability this week when Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather turned the spotlight on a practice that has quietly drained public resources for years: officers holding multiple official vehicles. His intervention was sharp, precise and entirely justified. “It is a question of state resources. Jammu & Kashmir is a poor state, and it cannot afford luxury,” the Speaker remarked, questioning why officers holding additional charge of departments should require separate vehicles for each assignment. His demand for details of such allotments has rightly cornered the Transport Minister, who could only offer assurances of corrective measures. The numbers speak for themselves. Over three years, the government spent approximately Rs 12.26 crore on fuel, oil, lubricants, repairs and maintenance alone. Expenditure on POL rose from Rs 17.45 lakh in 2023-24 to Rs 235.27 lakh in 2025-26, while repair and maintenance costs climbed from Rs 297.59 lakh to Rs 472.76 lakh over the same period. These are not trivial sums in a region with competing demands for healthcare, education and infrastructure. The proposed “One Officer-One Vehicle” principle is a step in the right direction. It rationalises the fleet, optimises resources and promotes economy in government expenditure. The exemptions for security, field duties and operational exigencies are reasonable. But the policy must not become a loophole that perpetuates the status quo. The Speaker’s demand for accountability must be followed through with rigorous enforcement. What makes this intervention significant is that it transcends partisan politics. The Speaker did not question the government’s authority; he questioned its priorities. He asked why a high-level committee’s recommendations should languish in files while public money continues to be spent on duplication. The Assembly’s scrutiny sends an important message: public resources are a trust, not an entitlement. The government must now act with urgency. A policy that exists only on paper is no policy at all. The Speaker has done his duty. The government must do its part.
