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| Unabated use of escort vehicles by ministers causing great loss to public exchequer | | 21 minister using 125 vehicles instead of required 34 | | Jammu | Mar 24
The unabated use of vehicles to escort the ministers’ cavalcade has been causing great loss to the public exchequer and putting pressure on the economic resources as more than two crore of rupees being unnecessarily spent. As per reports, 21 ministers in the state are utilizing the services of 125 vehicles in place of the required 34. The number of escort vehicles used by these ministers is thrice the required number and the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad himself leading the list. A fleet of 13 vehicles used to accompany Azad, out of which five meant for himself and other eight for his staff. It is to mention that state government has enacted legislation to downsize the cabinet but still failed to control the inflation of expenses by ministers.
On average, 38 thousand rupees excluding the maintenance charges being spent on a single vehicle and the daily quota of 20 litres of Petrol for a single vehicle and the salary amount of the driver costs 14 thousand rupees. In total, a monthly amount of 20 lakhs being uselessly spent on the fleet of excessive 91 vehicles and on annual basis it turns out to be more than two crores. The size of the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s cavalcade amounts to 13 vehicles, out of which five were used by Azad himself and rest of the eight are used by his staff. Health minister is also availing the facility of seven vehicles which also include a bullet proof one. Minister for PHE Dilawar Mir have been using the cavalcade of seven vehicles whereas Minister for RDD Jugal Kishore Sharma is not far behind them as he also utilizes six vehicles.
As per the rule, Minister of States are authorized only for a single vehicle but they too have contributed towards the loss in state exchequer. Barring, Dr Romesh, all other MoS using more than four vehicles. Aijaz Ahmed Khan accounts for five vehicles whereas Javed Mustafa Mir of PDP accounts for six official vehicles. Prem Sagar Aziz, Manjeet Singh, Peer Mohammed Hussain and Mohd Khalil with five, six, five, six vehicles respectively are also included in the list of erring ministers.
Pointing towards the economical crisis in the state, some of the MLAs have even criticized state government for misusing the public money in this manner. Government has no money to pay the long pending wages of daily wagers but lavishly spending the money for its own expenditure which is a cruel joke with the people of the state. On one hand, Chief Minister has launched a campaign against the corruption but on other hand this huge sum out of the public money being spend uselessly by these ministers, they added.
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