PANJIM: Most of the new ministers, including the Leader of the Opposition and Advocate General have opted for new cars, and the total cost of the new vehicles works out to Rs 1,41,59,525.
As per information available with Herald, seven ministers – Pandurang Madkaikar, Jayesh Salgaonkar, Vinod Palyekar, Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar, Vishwajit Rane and Mauvin Godinho – have opted for new cars. Opposition leader Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar and Advocate General Dattaprasad Lawande have also opted for new vehicles.
Three ministers – Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Francis D’Souza and Manohar (Babu) Azgaonkar – are as of now using old cars. However, Azgaonkar’s car was bought just a few months before the elections for then minister Mahadev Naik.
Interestingly, Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai and Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte are using their personal vehicles and have not taken any from the government.
Besides, Parrikar’s car – Santa Fe – was purchased in 2013 and he used the same when he served as Defence Minister of the country and continues to use the same one now.
Former Dy CM Francis D’Souza’s car, though purchased in 2014 is the costliest in the fleet. His Ford Fortuner 3.0 LWD MT cost the exchequer a whopping Rs 22,45,927.
Twenty new cars since 2013
The General Administration Department has purchased 20 cars since 2013 in prices ranging between Rs 11 lakh and 23 lakh.
Former Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar was given two new cars – Innova GX-7 in May 2013 and Innova Crysta in July 2016.
Interestingly, the 2016 Innova Crysta used by Tawadkar was allotted to Art and Culture minister Govind Gawde but after using it for two months he opted for a new Crysta.
The Mahindra XUV 500 FWD WID, costing Rs 15.16 lakh, acquired for former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar in July 2015, is now with the Secretary Ports.
Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma continues to use the old Honda City purchased in 2014.
