Splurging on government vehicles

Not only has the Establishment Ministry not submitted report as asked for by the Standing Committee on the misuse of almost 4000 public transports and their present status, our very in-depth report also reveals that many of these vehicles are where they do not belong, being used by those that are not authorised to do so.

The moot point is why these vehicles, most of which were purchased at very high costs have not been deposited to the government transport pool after completion of the projects they were attached to? And this is what begs the more fundamental question, which is, did we need to buy these luxurious and highly expensive vehicles in the name of development and poverty alleviation? The ostensible reason for purchase of these vehicles is for making field visits, which to our mind can be just as efficiently performed with less expensive, less luxurious but sturdier vehicles.

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Use of plush vehicles for development projects is not only incongruous in concept it also betrays insincerity and lack of commitment on the part of the planners and officials towards the stated goals of development in the country.

The other corollary to the issue is, if the costs of these vehicles are defrayed from our development funds, most of which are received as loans, why is it that our development partners go along with such wasteful purchases? The whole question, we must add, revolves around the attitude towards development policy and planning.

Such luxury vehicles naturally attract attention of the high ups. It seems to us that these vehicles are brought not so much as to make field visits but to serve the needs of the top brasses.

It must be stressed that not only should the missing vehicles be accounted for, purchase of luxury transports on the plea of development should cease forthwith.