Maharashtra’s government approves about ₹1.32 crore for the purchase of four luxury vehicles for the Lokayukta office, including ₹33 lakh per vehicle, even as the state faces widespread drought. The decision is backed by administrative approval and funding sanctioned through a government resolution.
Multiple outlets link the approval to drought conditions affecting 265 of Maharashtra’s 358 talukas, following deficient rainfall and prolonged dry spells. Some reports note the Lokayukta includes former senior officials and judges, such as former Justice Sunil Shukre, former Justices Surendra Tawde and Suvarna Kevale, former DGP Rashmi Shukla, and former IAS officer Om Prakash Gupta, and that the vehicles are meant for members of the office.
Outlets also describe a broader debate about government spending. While the vehicle sanction is reported as part of administrative requirements, the timing draws attention amid drought-relief efforts, including crop-loss assessments, crop-loan restructuring, and land revenue concessions. Several ministers are also described as urging restraint in discretionary spending during the crisis, highlighting differing public reactions to the allocation.
