Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Telangana government has come under Opposition’s fire for purchasing a fleet of luxury cars for IAS officers when the state is reeling under a debt of around ₹ 40,000 crore amid the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.
As many as 32 Kia Carnival vehicles were purchased, each one of them costing an estimated Rs 25-30 lakh. CM Rao inspected the vehicles and later flagged them off for distribution to additional collectors posted in the state.
Reminding the CM that he is only custodian of public money, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Krishna Saagar registered his strong opposition.
“How can Chief Minister KCR justify spending over ₹11 crores to buy 32 ultra-luxury vehicles for additional collectors in Telangana State ?” the BJP leader asked. He further termed CM Rao’s decision as a “massive wastage of public money” in the middle of a pandemic, “While many poor people are dying of debt burden due to COVID-19 hospitalisation. This decision…is horrendous and unthinkable.”
AICC Spokesperson Sravan Dasoju called the Telangana government’s move a “height of irresponsible expenditure”.
“The TRS government led by KCR is completely irresponsible in handling public money. As such KCR has pushed the surplus state of Telangana into a debt trap with a whopping debt of about ₹4 lakh crores,” claimed the Congress leader.
“On top of it, when the state is in a serious financial crisis due to COVID, KCR has the audacity to buy 32 luxury cars, at a cost of ₹30 lakhs each, as a gift to his additional collectors. They already have government cars with them in good condition. What was the need to buy new cars?” asked Dasoju.
Meanwhile, clarifying the expenditure, the CM said with the additional posting of collector, they want such autos to tour the entire district.
