Telangana Kia Carnivals Row: Saddled With Heavy Debt, The State Govt. Buys 32 Kia Carnivals For Additional DMs Costing Over Rs 11 Crore

When the state is reeling under the storm of the second wave of COVID -19 pandemic, Telangana government, offering the expensive 32 Kia Carnival cars, each costing Rs 30-31 lakh, as bonus to the Additional Collectors has drawn heavy criticism from the opposition.

The Fleet Of Newly Bought Kia Carnival Cars Parked Outside Pragati Bhavan In Telangana

Hyderabad:  When the state government is witnessing a financial crisis due to falling economy and rising covid-related expenses, Telangana government has bought a fleet of 32 luxury cars for state civil servants which puts the chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao under the opposition's fire.

Opposition has strongly condemned KCR government's purchasing of luxury vehicles for IAS officers amid COVID crisis

Criticising Mr. Rao's decision on buying the expensive cars, Congress national spokesperson Sravan Kumar Dasoju said, "At a time when Telangana is reeling under severe financial crisis with no money for Covid medical infrastructure and to buy TSRTC buses, Telangana CM has the audacity to buy 32 Kia luxury cars," he quipped.

At a time when state of #Telangana is reeling under severe financial crisis with No money for #Covid medical infra & to buy #TSRTC Buses, @TelanganaCMO has the adaucity 2buy 32 #KiaLuxuryCars for Additonal Collectors.. Misuse of Public Money with irresponsibility @ANI @PTI_News pic.twitter.com/b524lSR0ZG

— Dr Sravan Kumar Dasoju (@sravandasoju) June 13, 2021

He called it a misuse of public money with irresponsibility at a time when people are dying due to insufficient medical infrastructure.

Condemning Telangana CM’s car purchasing decision, BJP spokesperson K. Krishna Sagar Rao has called the move "criminal splurge" by Chief Minister Rao to "appease bureaucrats" in the state.

"How can Chief Minister Rao justify spending over 11 crores to buy 32 ultra-luxury vehicles?" Krishna Saagar Rao asked.

According to an ANI report, State Finance Minister Harish Rao had recently said that Telangana had suffered a massive revenue loss of up to Rs 4,100 crore due to the COVID-19 lockdown in May and had asked the Centre to increase the FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management) limit to 5 per cent from the present 4 per cent, to help it tide over the financial crisis.

The state still has 22,133 active COVID-19 cases and as many as 3,469 deaths have been reported in the state so far.