BENGALURU: At a time when the Karnataka government needs to practice austerity measures, keeping in mind the drought-like situation in as much as 75 per cent of the 246 taluks and financial crisis looming large to fund the five big poll guarantees, the DPAR and chief minister’s office (CMO) has authorised the purchase of as many as 33 high-end hybrid cars for the entire cabinet.
While chief minister Siddaramaiah has already been allotted a Fortuner SUV about two months back, the 33 ministers will now get brand new Hybrid Hycross vehicle worth Rs 30 lakh with 4G exemption clause being evoked to purchase the vehicle as per an order issued on August 17.
The order says: “For the 33 new ministers new Innova Hycross-Hybrid vehicles, each worth Rs 30 lakh, which adds up to Rs 9.9 crore, Toyota Kirloskar motor company Bengaluru will be approached directly with exemption under section 4g of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) act of 1999 for the department of personnel and administrative reforms (DPAR). For good quality services under acceptable rates, the DPAR is vested with the powers to procure them.”
As per KTPP act, 4g exemption is sought by the government each time there is a “natural calamity or emergency declared by the government sources the decision to procure new vehicles is taken based on a norm that the vehicle should have run either 1 lakh kilometers or completed 3 years in running.
“Since the last three years, no vehicles were purchased for ministers, with the last one being ordered in 2020 during the tenure of former CM BS Yediyurappa,” said government officials.
Other officials suggest that the decision to procure new vehicles is something of an “convention” with each new government coming to power.
“When we have new ministers, it is a convention that the CM authorizes the purchase of new vehicles for the ministers for their comfortable travel across the state,” said a DPAR official.
Interestingly it is claimed that none of the ministers have admitted to have placed a request for a new vehicle, individually, but have been seeking a replacement for the old ones which have been given to them.
“In my case, the vehicle given to me has crossed the running limit and touched 3 lakh kilometers. Now, any person who has a vehicle would look to have a replacement of the same if it has run so much,” said one minister.
However, the ministers appear to be aware of the negative perception which will be built in the public over the purchase of new vehicles when there is a drought situation in the state.
“We admit that it is bad optics… but what can be done when we have vehicles which have crossed beyond proper running conditions,” said another minister.
While chief minister Siddaramaiah has already been allotted a Fortuner SUV about two months back, the 33 ministers will now get brand new Hybrid Hycross vehicle worth Rs 30 lakh with 4G exemption clause being evoked to purchase the vehicle as per an order issued on August 17.
The order says: “For the 33 new ministers new Innova Hycross-Hybrid vehicles, each worth Rs 30 lakh, which adds up to Rs 9.9 crore, Toyota Kirloskar motor company Bengaluru will be approached directly with exemption under section 4g of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) act of 1999 for the department of personnel and administrative reforms (DPAR). For good quality services under acceptable rates, the DPAR is vested with the powers to procure them.”
As per KTPP act, 4g exemption is sought by the government each time there is a “natural calamity or emergency declared by the government sources the decision to procure new vehicles is taken based on a norm that the vehicle should have run either 1 lakh kilometers or completed 3 years in running.
“Since the last three years, no vehicles were purchased for ministers, with the last one being ordered in 2020 during the tenure of former CM BS Yediyurappa,” said government officials.
Other officials suggest that the decision to procure new vehicles is something of an “convention” with each new government coming to power.
“When we have new ministers, it is a convention that the CM authorizes the purchase of new vehicles for the ministers for their comfortable travel across the state,” said a DPAR official.
Interestingly it is claimed that none of the ministers have admitted to have placed a request for a new vehicle, individually, but have been seeking a replacement for the old ones which have been given to them.
“In my case, the vehicle given to me has crossed the running limit and touched 3 lakh kilometers. Now, any person who has a vehicle would look to have a replacement of the same if it has run so much,” said one minister.
However, the ministers appear to be aware of the negative perception which will be built in the public over the purchase of new vehicles when there is a drought situation in the state.
“We admit that it is bad optics… but what can be done when we have vehicles which have crossed beyond proper running conditions,” said another minister.