New Delhi, October 13: The Delhi government has installed GPS system in all officials vehicles used by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, MLAs and officials to track their movement. The installation of GPS in government vehicles is expected to prevent legislators and bureaucrats from misusing the facility for personal purposes. The first-of-its-kind move will also ensure public money is not wasted.

CM Arvind Kejriwal had ordered to fit GPS in all official vehicles after receiving complaints that legislators and bureaucrats use them for picking relatives from airports, attending private parties and ferrying children to schools. Following the instructions, the general administration department started the process of installing GPS in all vehicles of the Delhi government and completed the task before the deadline.

Kejriwal, in the first week of September, had made it clear that no minister, IAS or other officials would get money to buy fuel from October 1 if GPS had not been fitted in their vehicles by then. However, the deadline was extended to October 15 after the general administration department requested the chief minister. Delhi government has around 5,000 vehicles, besides another 600 hired from agencies.

The extension was sought after the department found a difference in prices of GPS being offered by Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System Ltd (DIMTS), which is a joint venture with Delhi government, and from Government e-Marketplace (GeM), the national public procurement portal, reported Times of India. The agency that has supplied the GPS devices will keep the records of the movement of all officials vehicles.

The agency will provide the data to the Delhi government if sought. “This will discourage officials from misusing their official vehicles since they can be singled out. However, there is little scope for misuse as Delhi is a geographically compact territory," an officer was quoted as saying.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 13, 2018 02:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).