New Delhi, July 23 ( P2P News service): new guidelines issued by the Finance Ministry’s Expenditure Department on the issuance of electronic devices to central government officers. Here’s a summary of the key points:

1. Eligibility: All central government officers of the rank of deputy secretary and above are entitled to receive mobiles, laptops, tablets, phablets, notebooks, notepads, ultra-books, net-books, or similar devices for official work.
2. Section Officers and Under Secretaries: 50% of the sanctioned strength of these officers can be issued such devices.
3. Cost Ceiling: The cost of the device can be up to Rs 1 lakh plus taxes. However, if the device has a Make-in-India component of more than 40%, the price ceiling will be Rs 1.30 lakh plus taxes.
4. Device Retention: After four years of usage, the officer can retain the device for personal use.
5. Data Sanitization: Before handing over the device to the officer for retention, the concerned Ministry/Department must ensure that all data in the device is completely wiped out (data sanitised).
6. Previous Guidelines: The memorandum dated July 21, 2023, supersedes the earlier one issued on March 27, 2020. The earlier guidelines had capped the cost of such devices at Rs 80,000 and did not include provisions for device retention for personal use.

These guidelines aim to provide central government officers with necessary electronic devices for official purposes while also considering sustainability and cost-effectiveness.