11 August,2026 03:47 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The directive will apply to all state government departments and their subordinate machinery, rural and urban local bodies, universities, educational institutions, statutory and autonomous bodies, and public sector undertakings. Representational pic
The Maharashtra government on Tuesday said that it will not bear the cost if officials opt for special vehicle registration numbers, noting the additional expense does not qualify for state funding, news agency PTI reported.
The move comes as part of the government's broader push to curb unnecessary expenditure and maintain financial discipline.
The state finance department, in an official circular, mentioned that it had noticed that government offices were spending substantial amounts to obtain specific registration numbers, commonly referred to as RTO special numbers.
"Since no government orders permit such numbers for official vehicles, the expenditure should not be charged to the state exchequer," the department stated.
Maharashtra government's circular further mentioned, "If an official or an office spends money to obtain a special number for a government vehicle, "under no circumstances" will funds be sanctioned to meet that expense."
The finance department noted that the government already incurs considerable expenditure on vehicles, including their repair and maintenance, fuel, and drivers' salaries. Vehicle-related spending should, therefore, be restricted to what is necessary, keeping in mind the policy of economy in overall expenditure, it said.
The directive will apply to all state government departments and their subordinate machinery, rural and urban local bodies, universities, educational institutions, statutory and autonomous bodies, and public sector undertakings.
The departments have been directed to bring the circular to the immediate notice of all offices under their control.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on August 9 defended the Centre's ethanol blending policy, rejecting criticism over E20 petrol and saying there was insufficient evidence to support the concerns.
"Automobile companies have invited consumers to provide evidence if vehicles develop problems because of ethanol-blended petrol, but no one has come forward with such evidence so far," Fadnavis said in Kolhapur.
He stated that ethanol production had opened a new avenue for sugar factories, adding that various government decisions would ensure better utilisation of resources and reduce waste in the sugar industry.
The Centre has defended its ethanol blending programme, saying extensive testing and large-scale field experience have found no evidence that E20 petrol, which contains 20 per cent ethanol, causes abnormal engine wear, corrosion, or reduced vehicle life.
(With inputs from PTI)
