Swanky Merc for HP guv costs exchequer ₹80L

SHIMLA : The cash-strapped Jai Ramthakurgovernmentinhimachal Pradesh has added a luxurious Rs 80-lakh Mercedes E 350 to the fleet of vehicles for governor Acharya Devvrat.

It’s the costliest car ever purchased by the Himachal Raj Bhawan.

The governor’s secretariat had in September last year pushed for replacing governor’s old Mercedes — E250, costing about Rs 60 lakh —with the new sports model. The Mercedes bought in 2013 had already crossed its fixed mileage. Apart from the newly added high-end executive class variant of the Mercedes, the governor’s motorcade includes 10 more vehicles.

The debt burden of the state government is more than Rs 48,000 crore and it has already availed Rs 4,000 crore loan from different financial institutions.

Interestingly, the latest entry to the fleet has been kept under cover in a garage at the Barnes court. So far, the governor has travelled only once in the car. It is learnt that Devvrat is apprehensive of the criticism the car may invite as he is known for his simple lifestyle. After taking over the Raj Bhawan’s reins, the governor had ordered many austerity measures to cut down expenditure. He had also ordered closure of a British-era bar in Barnes court.

“Actually, the governor was not very keen on purchasing the high -end car. The proposal was mooted by governor’s secretariat,” said governor’s adviser Shashikant Sharma.

In HP, the practice of buying a Mercedes for governor started in 1998. The then governor VS Rama Devi had purchased a Mercedes variant that had cost the government Rs 28 lakh.

At that time, the governor had declined state government’s suggestions to go for less expensive cars such as Opel Astra and Cielo.

After assuming power in December 2017, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur had talked about curtailing wasteful expenditure, but soon gave nod for purchasing six Toyota Fortuners — a sports utility vehicle costing Rs 34 lakh each — for himself and his ministers. Soon, the government will procure six more Toyota Fortuners. “Buying 12 SUVS in one go would have put heavy burden on the exchequer. So, it was decided that the vehicles would be bought in two lots,” said a government official, pleading anonymity.

An official of the general administration department (GAD) said majority of 12 Toyota Camry cars purchased during the previous regime have worn out and the Fortuner is better suited for the hilly terrain.

“The Jai Ram government does a lot of big talk on austerity measures but their actions but their actions are opposite to what they say,” said leader of opposition Mukesh Agnihotri.

The Jai Ram Thakur-led BJP government does a lot of big talk on austerity measures but their actions are opposite to what they say.

MUKESH AGNIHOTRI, leader of opposition in HP assembly