Ludhiana: New SUV purchases by MC spark row

The new Innovas are reportedly meant for mayor Inderjit Kaur and MC commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal, while the Boleros will be allotted to other officials in various departments.

The municipal corporation’s decision to purchase brand new SUVs for top officials has sparked criticism. Even as the civic body continues to reel under a chronic financial crunch, it recently approved the procurement of two Toyota Innova cars costing ₹67 lakh and ten Boleros worth ₹88 lakh. The new Innovas are reportedly meant for mayor Inderjit Kaur and MC commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal, while the Boleros will be allotted to other officials in various departments.

The municipal corporation’s decision to purchase brand new SUVs for top officials has sparked criticism. Even as the civic body continues to reel under a chronic financial crunch, it recently approved the procurement of two Toyota Innova cars costing ₹67 lakh and ten Boleros worth ₹88 lakh. (HT File)

This move comes at a time when citizens are facing daily inconvenience, accidents, and vehicle breakdowns due to damaged roads, and there is no clarity on when the damaged infrastructure will be repaired. Opposition leaders and residents have called the decision “ill-timed and insensitive.”

Former senior deputy mayor and senior Congress councillor Sham Sunder Malhotra said: “This is public money, not personal wealth. Instead of repairing city roads or addressing waterlogging issues, the civic body is busy upgrading its own comforts.”

A senior MC official, on condition of anonymity, said the decision to purchase vehicles was taken months ago, well before the monsoon wreaked havoc. “We were paying over ₹4 lakh every month for rented vehicles. The purchase will help us cut down recurring rental expenses,” the official claimed, adding that the vehicles will remain the property of the civic body.

Despite repeated attempts, both the MC commissioner and mayor could not be reached for comments.