Thiruvananthapuram: “It will be the first time in the history of the world to witness an event of this nature. I have no doubt that if the government decides to call for tender and sell this cabinet bus, it will fetch twice the price of the current purchase price. Even if it is kept in the museum after 15 years, lakhs of people will come to see it as the vehicle used by the Chief Minister and Ministers of Kerala. ”
This was the justification given by the CPI(M) leader and former minister AK Balan who was responding to media on the purchase of bus for ‘Nava Kerala Sadas’. This statement of the former minister invited lot of criticism and ridicule from the public.
The CPI(M) leader does not find buying such an expensive bus at the cost of people’s suffering, a mismanagement by the party. He proudly states that even if the government decides to sell the vehicle calling a tender, it could yield a price twice the current purchase cost. AK Balan expressed confidence that if the vehicle is kept in a museum later, it would attract a huge crowd, considering its use by the Chief Minister and other ministers.
The state government is facing a lot of criticism and protests for proceeding with the Nava Kerala Sadas amid Kerala’s severe financial crisis. The purchase of a bus specifically for the Nava Kerala Sadas at a cost of Rs 1.05 crore has further added to public displeasure. In response to the controversies and criticisms, the CPI(M) has offered this strange explanation. They said that the Nava Kerala Sadas is going to be a historic event, the first of its kind worldwide. CPI(M) leader AK Balan said that the Nava Kerala Sadas is also an example of how the administrative machinery works.
CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan also had earlier expressed a similar sentiment regarding the bus. Govindan was of the opinion that, with Chief Minister and the group of ministers using the bus for travel, it’s worth would climb high. The expensive bus which was transformed into a caravan arrived in Kasaragod on Saturday morning. It is equipped with an attached bathroom and other unique features.
Comments