Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 3: The State Government has showered over Rs 11 crores worth bonanza on 100 legislators including MLAs and MLCs by according sanction to purchase of 100 Sports Utility Vehicles Mahindra Scorpio for them with each vehicle costing Rs 11.26 lakh.
The vehicles bonanza for the legislators comes just few days ahead of the beginning of autumn session of the Legislature.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Home Department today issued Government Order No. Home-380 of 2015 for purchase of 100 new vehicles for sitting MLAs/MLCs by the Police Headquarters after which each MLA/MLC will get the new Mahindra Scorpio S 10 BS4 Sports Utility Vehicle. Each vehicle will cost the Government exchequer Rs 11,26,208 and total cost of the vehicles has been estimated around Rs 11 crores.
“Sanction is accorded to procurement of 100 Mahindra Scorpio S 10 BS4 on DGS&D rates of Rs 11,26,208 per vehicle in favour of the Director General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir as sitting vehicle for use of MLAs/MLCs,” the official order issued by the Principal Secretary to Government, Home Department, RK Goyal, said.
At present, there are total of 123 legislators in Jammu and Kashmir in both Houses of the Legislature including the Legislative Assembly (89) and Legislative Council (34). Twenty five of them are Ministers including the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister, four others are Presiding Officers including Chairman and Deputy Chairman of Legislative Council, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly while two MLAs-Syed Bakir Rizvi (Independent-Zanskar) and Anjum Fazili (Nominated-PDP) are in the rank of Ministers of State after being nominated chairpersons and vice chairpersons of the Boards/Commissions leaving behind 92 legislators.
With purchase of 100 SUVs, all MLAs and MLCs will get brand new Mahindra Scorpio vehicles for which the State Government will shell out about Rs 11 crores.
“The vehicles will be used for luxury of MLAs/MLCs as no security concerns can be addressed with them since the vehicles were not bullet-proof,” sources pointed out.
The funds for purchase of luxurious vehicles will be placed at the disposal of Police Headquarters on the receipt of allocation from the Finance Department.
It may be mentioned here that during budget session of the Legislature in Jammu in March-April, which was first session of the PDP-BJP Government, some of the legislators had raised uproar over allotment of outdated vehicles to them.
The Ministers, Presiding Officers and the MLAs with rank of the Ministers were already entitled to the vehicles of their choice in addition to Police Escorts.
However, with purchase of 100 Mahindra Scorpio SUVs, the MLAs/MLCs will to get the luxurious vehicles.
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