Edappal: The village office authorities, who had sought cars for official travel purposes, have been allotted bicycles by the government. It is learnt that district collectors have already written to tehsildars to send the list of those who need cycles. 

As per reports, the state government’s decision came on account of repeated demands from village field assistants (VFA) seeking vehicles for field inspections in villages. The pay revision commission had also proposed to provide vehicles for the officers to carry out field inspections with ease. 

Initially, there were plans to offer cars for the purpose. Later, it was decided to provide scooters, which was again changed to an electric vehicle (common for three or four offices). However, the finance department was not on board with the decision and finally bicycles entered the picture. 

Furthermore, it needs to be noted that the current move comes at a time when a majority of tasks at village offices are handled online. However, field verification is necessary for certificates that are provided via the e-district portal.