Thiruvananthapuram: The state government is planning to procure two crossover utility vehicles (XUVs) to beef up the security of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Delhi. The request for the XUVs was raised by Finance Minister Thomas Isaac during the discussion on supplementary demands for grants in the Assembly on Tuesday. The minister also sought permission for six Innova cars for the security of VIPs, including ministers. The total expenses would come to Rs 75 lakh.
The announcement came close on the heels of the recent admission by the minister that the financial crunch experienced by the state was due to the heavy dependence on credit. The high security cover to Mr Vijayan had come up for criticism from various quarters. There are reports that the Intelligence agencies have advised him to use bullet-proof cars in view of security threats.
Recently, former state police chief T. P. Senkumar, who had attended a meeting convened by Mr Vijayan, had advised him against the heavy security cover. Mr Senkumar told him it was distancing him from the people and hence he should opt only for the ring-round and some necessary security cover and avoid the ambulance on his convoy.
