Karnataka: Rs 11.4 crore to maintain 85 MLA cars! It can't get costlier

Belagavi: Having already splurged Rs 9.34 crore on buying posh cars for legislators, ministers and VIPs over the last three years after the Congress party came to power in 2013, the Siddaramaiah government has spent another whopping Rs 11.40 crores on buying and maintenance of 85 cars for the Legislators' Home in the same period.

The admission came in response to a query by Right to Information activist, Bheemappa Gadad from Belagavi. The fleet of 85 cars at the Legislators’ Home includes five Fortuners, 35 Innovas and several Itios and Cheverolets, which are rented out to legislators and VIPs regularly.

But the Home earns a paltry Rs 1.28 crore from hiring them out as the legislators, who claim an allowance of Rs 19.50 per km for travel in the air-conditioned cars, are charged merely Rs 6 to 7 per km for renting the cars.

“The legislators have managed to get their travel allowance raised twice over the last six years, but are being charged the same for hiring the cars for years . Unfortunately, several of their associates and friends too rent these cars regularly. The government must stop this rampant misuse of the cars at the Legislators Home,'' underlined Mr Gadad.

“The legislators, who are also entitled for loans at a meager 7 per cent rate of interest to buy their own cars, claim as much as Rs 30 per km towards their travel expenses although they are entitled to only Rs 19 to 20 per km,” Mr Gadad charged, alleging that although hardly any legislator travelled by travel anymore, most claimed a train travel expense of Rs 2 lakh every year. The activist warned he would shortly launch a legal battle against the government for such misuse of public money.