Flaunted then, condemned now!
Dozens of government vehicles gather dust at Secretariat and Assemvly

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI

Ministers and officials may differ and doubt even on policy matter involving larger public interest but they unanimously feel that public interest can better be served swiftly and effectively provided they are given swanky and swift vehicles.
Bowing before popular ministerial belief the cabinet last year ordered to procure 12 ‘Tata Safari Top Model’ each costing around Rs 13 to add glamour in the ministerial convoy forcing their official vehicles ‘Ford Endeavour’ into a premature state of condemnation.
Nobody loves Government of India’s gazetted sturdy bodied Ambassador now, Ford Endeavour enamours no more and Baleno VXI is a belated love story.
Stranding on the premise of state secretariat the official vehicle of Science and Technology Minister Chnadra Prakash Chaudhary JH 01N-8233 of Ford Endeavour make; is facing dust and ravage of weather, unattended; amid the fleet of around three dozen of equally condemned official vehicles. And nobody knows as to when and who dumped it there.
“The minister is now using Tata Safari probably. From past couple of week this vehicle has been left unattended here,” a security man said.
Though the minister is reported to be the most vocal one to demand new vehicle but he was not an isolated voice. One first time minister from the BJP quota had made similar demand. A heavy weight minister ventured father and forceful kept official vehicle of his one of his subordinates for a month and more finding it more swift and cozy.
In the race for costly flaunt of high tech vehicles the state secretariat looks like a dreary graveyard of condemned vehicles with frustrating counts of numbers. So is the case with premise of the Jharkhand State Assembly. Mostly these are Ambassador cars probably purchased during the formation of Jharkhand in year 2000 as their registration series numbers suggest — JH01A, JH10K, JH 01C, JH 01 C. Around 30 to 40 vehicles were purchased by the state government for officials and secretaries. At least 10 vehicles bearing the registration number of Bihar state might run beyond the prescribed limit of 15 years. “But you can’t say about rest of these. Send it to mechanic it can be used again. Some of these are still in the running condition. But when government is ready to buy new fleet every year who cares for old,” said an official.
Another 10 vehicles can be found parked on the premise of Jharkhand State Assembly with series of registration number ranging from JH 01A to JH 01B and JH 01AJ. A brand new Tata Qualis—JH01C 9367 does not deem fit to be deserved to be declared condemned. These vehicles will be finally auctioned at a throw away price for prospective buyers to turn it into running conditions by spending Rs 30000 to Rs 50000. “Some months back the Law Department had published tender for the auction of condemned vehicles. There is no central pool of condemned vehicles these vehicles belong to different departments. So it is very tough to say anything,” a senior official of the Finance Department said.
Back to the purchase of 15 plush Ford Endeavour vehicles in 2006 which were purchased by diverting huge fund of Rs 40 crore provided by the Centre for police modernization in Jharkhand, the decision which faced criticism. The government later on purchased 15 Ford Endeavours and 21 Balenos, the total cost working up to Rs 15 crore, in the name of creating a vehicle pool for VIPs despite it had enough vehicles.
The state and the ministers have tradition to change their vehicles even under minor glitch. A former health Minister had not liked his official vehicles Ambassador car — JH 01A 2515 and JH 01A 1514 which was declared condemned within three years of its purchase. It is one of the reasons as to why count of condemned has been on the rise.