No new limo, fewer guests in presidential austerity
NEWDELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind will not ride the ~10 crore limousine that was to be bought for his use at the next Republic Day parade. The next time Rashtrapati Bhavan hosts a state banquet, the usual lavish spread will be replaced by a more modest one. Rashtrapati Bhavan is also going easy on floral decorations. And no new construction will be sanctioned in the world’s second-largest presidential estate in the next year.
These are some of the costsaving measures being adopted to save funds by the republic’s highest office at a time when millions of Indians, especially migrant workers, poor households and daily wage workers, are striving to make ends meet amid the lockdown imposed to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
A new limousine was to be procured this year for use by the President, who has been using an older version of the Mercedes-Benz S Class (S600) Pullman Guard.
The car came into use during the tenure of President Pranab Mukherjee. An official familiar with the matter said, “Every VVIP car has a shelf life determined as per the military protocol. As the shelf life gets over, maintenance becomes costlier. The current car has completed its shelf life.”
The new set of wheels— with state-of-the-art security features -- was scheduled to come before the next Republic Day. The plan has now been shelved, the official said, adding: “The President, if needed, will use VVIP cars available with the government for the time being.”
Rashtrapati Bhavan also plans to pare the opulence of state banquets. “Menus and guest lists will be trimmed for all future banquets. We will ensure full honour for the state guest but we will also be careful not to show off. There will be no opulence,” the official added.
A typical Rashtrapati Bhavan banquet has 11-14 dishes. On February 25, when President Donald Trump was hosted for the state banquet, the menu had 13 dishes, including Atlantic salmon, Raan Alishan and Amusebouche made of orange covered with peels of golden leaf and sprinkles of golden dust.
To be sure, there’s no immediate state visit to India in the works as nations around the world battle the Covid pandemic.
The aim, added another official, is to reduce costs by 20% so that the money can be spent for the poor.
“The President has given instructions to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to set an example by economising the expenditure, making optimal usage of resources, and dovetailing the saved money to combat Covid-19 and mitigate the people’s economic plight.