Controversy has now arisen over the purchase of 51 Mahindra Thar SUV cars by the Forest Department in Odisha. Actually, it is alleged that the Forest Department spent a huge amount of Rs 7 crore for the maintenance of these cars during the financial year 2024-25, but when the records came out, it was also revealed that a separate expenditure of Rs 5 crore was spent on the modification of these cars. In this way the total expenditure on these cars reached about Rs 12 crore. Due to which this decision of the Forest Department has become a matter of controversy among the common people and political circles. At the same time, the Government of Odisha has also given orders to take action regarding this.
According to official records, the price of each Mahindra Thar SUV car was around Rs 14 lakh. After this, many types of special equipment and fittings were installed in all these cars, which are said to include additional lights, cameras, sirens, special tires and other equipment.
Minister’s strict stance after criticism of the case
After the revelations and widespread criticism of this matter, Odisha Government Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia has taken cognizance of the matter and ordered a special audit. He has directed the officials to thoroughly investigate the purchase process and expenditure incurred on modification of these cars. The minister said that considering the functions of the department, some modifications may be necessary, but any kind of unnecessary or wasteful expenditure will not be tolerated.
He clarified that the purpose of the investigation is to find out why these modifications were made and whether they were truly necessary for operational requirements. He said that if any fitting is found unnecessary, excessive and without permission, strict action will be taken against the concerned officials. Along with this, the state government has also warned that if any illegal or suspicious activity comes to light during the audit, strict action will be taken.
Forest department officials gave clarification regarding car purchase
Regarding the modification of these cars, Forest Department officials say that these SUV cars were purchased for important works in the forests. These include control of forest fires, deployment of forest personnel in remote and border areas, protection of wildlife and prevention of illegal activities like smuggling of wood along with hunting. The department has justified the modifications made in the cars citing the difficult geographical conditions of the forest.
Action will be taken after the audit report comes
However, despite these arguments, questions remain about the need for such a large expenditure before the necessary approvals are obtained. In such a situation, the Odisha government says that after the audit report comes, responsibility will be fixed in this matter and further action will be taken on that basis.
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