The Maharashtra government has approved ₹1.32 crore for the purchase of four luxury vehicles for members of the Lokayukta office, even as large parts of the state continue to face drought conditions.
According to a Government Resolution issued by the General Administration Department, ₹33 lakh has been sanctioned for each vehicle. The order specifies the purchase of Toyota Innova Hycross ZX-7S models for four members of the recently constituted Lokayukta panel.
The vehicles are intended for the newly appointed members of the anti-corruption watchdog. The panel is headed by former Bombay High Court Justice Sunil Shukre and includes former Justices Surendra Tawde and Suvarna Kevale, former Maharashtra Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla and former IAS officer Om Prakash Gupta.
The decision has triggered discussion over government spending, particularly because Maharashtra is dealing with drought conditions. The state has declared drought across 265 of its 358 talukas following inadequate rainfall.
The vehicle allocation has also drawn attention because state ministers have recently called for financial restraint and reduction of unnecessary expenditure. Maharashtra minister Uday Samant had directed officials to avoid formal felicitations involving garlands and honours and asked departments to stop serving expensive dry-fruit items such as cashews, almonds and pistachios at official meetings. He also called for simple meals to be served during district planning meetings.
Agriculture minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil has separately appealed to farmers to reduce expenditure during the difficult period.
The approval for the Lokayukta vehicles followed the recent appointment of the members. The General Administration Department reviewed the vehicle requirement on September 4, and administrative approval for the purchase was granted the same day. The government subsequently issued the formal resolution sanctioning the funds.
The Lokayukta is Maharashtra's anti-corruption institution and deals with complaints concerning alleged corruption and maladministration involving public officials, subject to its statutory jurisdiction.
The latest decision has therefore become a matter of public discussion, with the focus centred on the timing and cost of the vehicle purchase. Supporters of the expenditure could point to the official transport requirements of senior constitutional and statutory functionaries, while critics have questioned whether such spending is appropriate when several parts of the state are facing drought-related difficulties.
The government order itself sets out the sanctioned amount and vehicle specification, while the wider debate concerns the balance between administrative requirements and fiscal restraint during a period of financial and agricultural stress.
As Maharashtra continues to respond to drought conditions, the ₹1.32-crore vehicle approval has added another layer to the discussion over government priorities and the use of public funds.
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