8 Fortuner cars worth Rs 3.04 crore will be purchased for the official use of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The state government has given approval for the purchase of these vehicles. These cars will be purchased for the CM under the budget of 2024-25. An order for this has been issued by the Government Transport Department. In which it has been said that 8 Toyota Fortuners will be purchased for the CM.
Of these, 4 vehicles will be kept in Delhi for different visits of the CM, while 2 cars will be kept in Srinagar and 2 cars in Jammu. Now former Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattoo has reacted on this matter. He has criticized it. Mattoo has shared a post on social media, in which he has made a scathing attack on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Mattu has written in the post that shopping for the king's convoy is going on, but public issues are aside.
Former Mayor Junaid Mattoo has said that there are 8 new Toyota Fortuners and a new personal Range Rover Defender for the Honorable Duke of Essex. He said that now the CM's convoy is missing only one plane and one boat on Dal Lake. The condition of Jammu and Kashmir may worsen but Abdullah monarchy should not. Long live the king.
EIGHT new Toyota Fortuners for the Honble Duke of Essex AND apparently a brand new personal Range Rover Defender.
The only thing missing in the fleet is a plane and a yacht over Dal Lake now.
J&K's status was downgraded. Not of the Abdullah Monarchy.
Long live the King! pic.twitter.com/eLLul7jY0i
— Junaid Azim Mattu (@Junaid_Mattu) December 24, 2024
It has been clarified in the government order that this fund will be used only for the purchase of these vehicles. Also, documents and receipts for whatever expenditure will be incurred will have to be submitted by March 31, 2025. At the same time, the officials have assured that only the existing employees will manage these vehicles, hence no new posts will be created for the drivers. That means, only the existing staff will be used to drive these vehicles, no new separate post will be created for this.
According to the order signed by Neeraj Kumar, Secretary, Government Transport Department, four of the eight Fortuner vehicles will be kept in Delhi for use during his visit, while two each will be kept in Srinagar and Jammu. Of the 8 new vehicles, four Toyota Fortuner vehicles with 4×2 automatic transmission are priced at Rs 34 lakh (total amount Rs 1.36 crore) and the four which are to be used in Jammu and Kashmir will have 4×4 automatic transmission. The cost of each of these cars is Rs 42 lakh, which will put a burden of Rs 1.68 crore on the government exchequer. These vehicles are different from the already approved bulletproof vehicles included in the CM's convoy. Payment for the purchase is to be completed before March 31, 2025.
