According to an announcement by the Expenditure Department of the Finance Ministry, central government officers will now be eligible for mobile phones, laptops, or similar devices costing up to ₹1.3 lakh, which they can keep for personal use after a period of four years. The department has outlined specific guidelines for issuing electronic devices such as mobiles, laptops, tablets, phablets, notebooks, notepads, ultra-books, netbooks, or devices of similar categories to eligible officers for official work.
New Guidelines Issued for Electronic Devices Allocation to Central Government Officers
The guidelines state that all central government officers at the rank of deputy secretary and above are entitled to receive such devices. For Section Officers and Under Secretaries, 50 percent of the sanctioned strength can be issued such devices.
Regarding the cost of the devices, the office memorandum mentions that it could be ₹1 lakh plus taxes. However, if the device has a Make-in-India component of more than 40 percent, the price ceiling will be ₹1.30 lakh plus taxes.
New Guidelines Allow Officers to Retain Devices After Four Years of Usage
The memorandum emphasizes that no new device can be allocated to an officer who has already been provided one in a ministry/department within the past four years, except in cases of repairs that are deemed “beyond economical repairs.”
After completing four years of usage, the officer can retain the device for personal use. However, before handing over the device for retention, the concerned Ministry/Department must ensure that all data on the device is completely wiped out (data sanitized), as per PTI reports.
The new memorandum, dated July 21, 2023, supersedes the previous one issued on March 27, 2020, which capped the cost of such devices at ₹80,000 and did not include any provision for officers to retain the devices for personal use.
