Focus: Telangana's Chief Minister KCR Gifts Himself 5 Crore Mercedes-Benz Bus At Taxpayers' Expense!

By Newscop
Group Managing Editor

BURNING TOPIC: He do everything with a difference and catch the eye-balls to raise the concern, people call him a visionary, politician and a man with a difference, we are talking about the Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, also known as KCR, likes to boast about how only Gujarat and Telangana are revenue surplus states. 

That is perhaps why KCR has no qualms about splurging on his office. His latest acquisition is a bullet-proof and mine-proof Mercedes-Benz bus.It will be used during his tour to the districts but has burnt a hole of Rs 5 crore in the exchequer.

The white Mercedes-Benz bus was brought on Wednesday evening from Chandigarh to Miyapur bus depot in Hyderabad. The 12-seater is also equipped with a ladder for KCR to climb on top of it to make public appearances.The bus is wi-fi-enabled and will help the CM hold meetings with ministers and officials while on the move. 

The opposition Congress was quick to criticise the purchase, questioning the “self-indulgence” at a time when more than 700 farmers in the state have killed themselves in the last one year, unable to repay loans. 

Leader of Opposition in the Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Shabbir Ali said, “The chief minister has already spent Rs 27 crore on bullet- proof cars for himself and other VIPs. It is unfortunate that he is unnecessarily spending money.” 

However, KCR’s Telangana Rashtra Samiti has dismissed the criticism as a case of sour grapes, calling the Congress jealous of the work KCR is able to do. 

The government has pointed out that the CM wants to “use the mode of transport used by the common man” and says the bus “does not even have a bed inside and is strictly a work area”. 

Deputy CM Mahmood Ali countered, “The Congress is worried because many of its leaders are deserting the party and good work is being done by KCR. So their leaders are resorting to nitpicking.” 

The bus was delivered in time for the CM to use it on Day one of his ‘Haritha Haaram’ programme, which is an ambitious plantation drive undertaken by the Telangana government. 

But with the pujas at the temple delaying the bus, KCR is likely to use it only later this month. 
Incidentally, his Andhra Pradesh counterpart and bete noire Chandrababu Naidu also has a luxury bus provided by his government.

Earlier, KCR launched a  massive green drive, Haritha Haaram, aimed at improving green cover across the State at the Chilkur temple in Ranga Reddy district but what caught the attention of all was his brand new, ultra-modern bullet-proof bus — acquired at a cost of `5 crore — for his exclusive use.

Painted in spotless white, the favourite colour of KCR, the Mercedes-Benz four-wheeler is a virtual ‘government on wheels’, as some officials put it, complete with a washroom, a ‘meeting hall’, WiFi facility and even a public address system. The vehicle, assembled at Chandigarh, can accommodate up to 12 passengers.

KCR’s security personnel took the bus to the famous Yadagiri Gutta Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Nalgonda in the afternoon and performed a special ‘vaahan puja.’  Later, it was brought back to Hyderabad and the Chief Minister used it for the first time to travel to the Chilkur Balaji temple on the city outskirts where he launched the mega tree plantation campaign.

Officials said KCR will use the bus for his district tours and can conduct meetings on the go. Besides, the vehicle is fitted with the latest equipment to withstand any security threat, they explained.

However, the price tag of the luxurious bus has kicked up a controversy with the Congress terming it an absolute waste of public money.

Nonetheless, KCR’s Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) defended acquisition of the bus.