Central Govt Officers to Receive Electronic Gadgets Worth up to ₹1.3 Lakh

New Delhi: The Finance Ministry’s Expenditure Department has issued new guidelines granting central government officers access to advanced electronic devices for official purposes. The memorandum, dated July 21, 2023, replaces the previous version from March 27, 2020, and introduces exciting changes.

Under the latest guidelines, officers of deputy secretary rank and above are entitled to mobiles, laptops, tablets, phablets, notebooks, ultrabooks, netbooks, or similar devices. Furthermore, Section Officers and Under Secretaries can also avail themselves of these devices, with 50% of the sanctioned strength being eligible.

The cost ceiling for the devices is set at ₹1 lakh plus taxes. However, devices with a Make-in-India component exceeding 40% can be priced up to ₹1.30 lakh plus taxes. This incentive aims to promote indigenous manufacturing and technology development.

Notably, officers who have already been issued a device within a ministry/department may not receive a new one for up to four years, except in cases of declared ‘beyond economical repairs.’

One remarkable feature of the new guidelines is that after four years of official use, officers can retain the device for personal use. Before handing over the device, the concerned Ministry/Department must ensure complete data sanitization.

This progressive initiative fosters technological empowerment among government officers while fostering the adoption of advanced electronics and supporting India’s domestic manufacturing sector.