Fleet of Rs 2.5-cr vehicles for Capt on way, courtesy Badal

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 30

The Capt Amarinder Singh government, which has been quite vocal about the legacy of debt, is set to inherit from the previous Akali-BJP government a fleet of new cars, including a luxury SUV — something it won’t mind.

These vehicles were ordered by the SAD-BJP government for the then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, but by the time the Finance Department sanctioned the money, the model code of conduct for the Punjab Assembly elections had come into force.

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The new vehicles — a bulletproof Range Rover, and 11 Innovas and Gypsys, estimated at Rs 2.5 crore in total — will be delivered for the Chief Minister’s cavalcade shortly. Sources in the Finance Department said the amount had been released.

“The budget was sanctioned by the Finance Department to the Transport Department. A sum of Rs 87 lakh has been released for 11 Innovas and Gypsys, besides Rs 1.3 crore for the Range Rover and another Rs 35 lakh for bullet-proofing it,” said a source, adding tenders had been floated in December.

Last year, the former Chief Minister and his deputy Sukhbir Singh Badal had bought new Toyota Land Cruisers after the vehicles used by them were declared as “condemned”. Since parallel cavalcades had to be maintained for the Chief Minister, the new vehicles were cleared by the Akali-BJP government. 

Fifteen new Gypsys are also being bought to escort ministers and MLAs.