(Inputs from Kochi, Goa, Chennai, Kolkata, Patna, Bhopal & Ahmedabad)

One must be an elected representative or a babu in India to ensure immunity from repeated fuel shocks. For them, petrol flows free and abundant. In an economy that’s slowed to a crawl and with the rupee in freefall, containing the national fuel bill is an imperative . A curfew hour for filling stations is a proposed remedy. A fuel quota for the public is another. But this punishes you and me. Why not shut the tap on petrol profligacy? Step in and do something where petrol flows like water?Sample this. The Madhya Pradesh CM and his ministers get 250 litres of petrol and diesel free every month. Bureaucrats explain why this is notional and a mere formality. The CM and ministers have a large number of vehicles assigned to them. These are drawn from different departments. Private taxis are often drafted in. “It’s difficult to calculate how much fuel ministers guzzle. They use so many cars from different sources. If you’re asking me how much fuel a minister consumes , I’d say it’s unlimited. There’s no cap,” a babu says.What of the babudom in MP? It’s a relatively modest story here, but not entirely unimpressive. Class I and Class II officers get 55 litres a month each for offi cial work. It’s an open secret that government cars are seen outside shopping malls ferrying families of bureaucrats . “Families of mantris and babus use government cars. Everyone knows,” says Pushan Bhattacharya, a Bhopal trade union leader. States like Goa have made a half-hearted attempt to work around this problem. A pittance of Rs 500 is deducted from a secretary or a head of department’s pay every month, if he uses his offi cial car for personal work.Bihar’s public servants and politicians are no less privileged. As Bikram Kuer, MLA from Raghunathpur explains: “Legislators here are reimbursed for petrol expenses at Rs 20 per km, up from Rs 15.” There’s no limit on distance or number of vehicles used. The revision took place when the rupee was in freefall. Bihar’s ministers and state PSU-chiefs are entitled to free monthly road travel to a limit of 2,500 km.The Karnataka CM and his Cabinet are reimbursed every month for travel of up to 750 km within Bangalore at current petrol rates. Once they drive out of town, the equation changes. Reimbursement is at the rate of Rs 20 per km. There’s no ceiling on distance travelled. As for legislators, they get a monthly allowance of Rs 25,000 within their constituencies . For road travel outside , they’re entitled to Rs 20 per km, no limit on distance. Bureaucrats aren’t entitled to transport allowances, they are allotted offi cial vehicles.A state like Tamil Nadu has meets travel needs of its babus and policemen. BDOs and police sub-inspectors are entitled to either 80 litres of petrol or 55 litres of diesel a month. The allocations go up with seniority.Tehsildars and inspectors draw either 110 litres of petrol a month or 70 litres of diesel. Similarly, the monthly quota for collectors and SPs is 195 litres of petrol or 125 litres. Secretaries and commissioners draw 165 litres of petrol or 110 litres of diesel. Ministers aren’t tied down with fuel consumption limits. MLAs get a consolidated vehicle allowance of Rs 20,000 a month.Kerala has a fi xed fuel allowance for public representatives . But for bureaucrats , it’s unlimited as long as they’re on official work. MPs get Rs 10,000 a month from the state for chauffeurs, in addition to the salary they draw from the Centre. Each legislator gets a fuel coupon worth Rs 225,000 for a year. These are to buy from IOC outlets. Ministers get cars with drivers and fuel costs at Rs 10 a km. This can be availed of if the minimum distance covered is 8km. There’s no maximum limit. Senior bureaucrats are entitled to chauffeur-driven cars. The government pays for the fuel.In UP, MPs, MLAs and bureaucrats are bound by no fuel quotas. The state picks up the tab for offi cial work. Reimbursements are against bills. Some departments like the police have their own fi lling stations. “For instance, for all Bapu Bhawan (part of the secretariat ) vehicles, individual ministers or bureaucrats don’t pay. The bills are sent to their offi ces,” Sudhir Bora, general secretary of Lucknow Petrol Dealers’ Association says.There’s no set kilometer limit for ministers and IPS officers in Gujarat. Those in the IAS can claim free travel up to 4,000 km every month. The state general administration department norms say ministers and bureaucrats who have CNG kits fi tted to their cars can claim Rs 3 per km for fuel. For diesel cars, the allowance is Rs 6 per km, and for petrol Rs 7 per km. Ministers and senior bureaucrats can claim the allowance for multiple cars.Didi’s Bengal may be in the midst of an unprecedented fund crunch. Yet, transport minister Madan Mitra confirms there’s no cap on fuel usage by ministers. But officials can’t use more than 8 litres a day.