Governments crazy about new cars: RTI
As many as 23 cars were purchased during the UDF tenure which cost Rs 3.05 crore excluding registration and insurance.
Thrissur: The LDF and UDF governments compete with each other in acquiring new cars. The present LDF government and the last UDF government have spent a total of Rs 9.83 crore for purchasing cars for official purposes. A total of 42 cars were bought during the past seven-and-a-half years for ministers, as per the documents collected by an RTI activist here.
As many as 23 cars were purchased during the UDF tenure which cost Rs 3.05 crore excluding registration and insurance. These cars were replaced last year by the LDF government by purchasing 35 new ones in June last year at a cost of Rs 6.78 crore, including registration and other expenses.
While the UDF government bought 20 Toyota Innova and three Altis cars, the LDF government purchased 25 Toyota Innova Crysta ZMT (diesel) cars and 10 Toyota Altis GL (diesel) cars.
"As per the order of a green tribunal, a diesel car can be used for 15 years, but five-year-old cars are being replaced citing that they are not fit for use due to constant use by the ministers, board and corporation members," Mr P.B. Satheesh, RTI activist based at Mannuthy, said.
In the LDF ministry, all the 19 ministers, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan have received new cars. Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala, chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission, speaker and deputy speaker, Mr R. Balakrishna Pillai, chief of the corporation for forward communities, and private secretaries have been given 16 new cars.