Thiruvananthapuram: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala has purchased 35 cars since it took over in May 2016, draining the treasury of Rs 6.78 crore. The cars – 25 Innova Crysta and 10 Toyota Corolla Altis – were bought by the tourism department in 2017. The public administration department's order of September 5, 1988, says that a new car can be acquired once an existing one gets three years old or has covered one lakh kilometres.
Among those who are using the cars are the chief minister, ministers, assembly speaker, his deputy, the leader of the opposition and the administrative reforms commission chairman, among others.
The tourism department provided 21 vehicles to the chief minister and members of his cabinet apart from 2 to his office and to the tourism minister's office. Of the 126 cars being used by the tourism department, 51 are less than five years old. The tourism minister's personal staff use two, the tourism secretariat has two and the tourism directorate nine. The tourism department has marked 20 cars for state guests. Among them are some as old as 12 years.
The finance department purchased four vehicles at Rs 28.85 lakh – one Mahindra Xylo and three Maruti Ertiga. It alone owns 40 vehicles. Secretaries and the special secretary use five cars and seven are used by the finance minister's office, secretaries and the special secretary.
The chief minister's personal staff, including his private secretary and advisers, use 10 cars. The chief secretary and his office have been provided with two cars. The Raj Bhavan was given two temporarily.
Fifteen cars owned by the tourism department are being used in Kochi, including two provided to two commission chairmen. There are five in Kozhikode, three cars have been sanctioned for Kannur district, two in Thrissur, and one each in Palakkad, Malappuram, Kasaragod and New Delhi.
Eight cars have been retired on the argument that they aren't good enough for ministers or guests. These are as old as 10 to 14 years.
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