{
  "id": 13181217,
  "title": "Maha Govt Clears ₹12.68 Crore For 44 VIP Vehicles, Including ₹4.07 Crore Armoured Land Cruiser, Amid Drought Concerns",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/maha-govt-clears-12-68-crore-for-44-vip-vehicles-including-4-07-crore",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-09T18:21:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/maha-govt-clears-1268-crore-for-44-vip-vehicles-including-407-crore-armoured-land-cruiser-amid-drought-concerns"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Maharashtra government has cleared the budget for 44 new vehicles worth ₹12.68 crore to enhance transport facilities for high-profile dignitaries visiting the state. This decision was made despite ongoing drought conditions affecting various regions in Maharashtra. According to a government resolution issued on October 9 by the Protocol Department, the approved purchases include an armoured Toyota Land Cruiser 300 valued at ₹4.07 crore.\n\nThe existing fleet has faced operational issues, with several vehicles becoming unserviceable or reaching the end of their operational lifespan. Deterioration of some vehicles has made it challenging to arrange transport for visiting dignitaries. Transport arrangements in Mumbai are overseen by the Government Transport Service in Worli, while other districts are managed by protocol departments attached to district collectorates.\n\nThe approved fleet consists of 64 vehicles for Mumbai and 225 for districts outside Mumbai and Mumbai Suburban. Among the 44 vehicles to be procured are 32 Toyota Innova Crysta cars at approximately ₹6.80 crore, two Toyota Fortuner SUVs costing around ₹60 lakh, an armoured Toyota Land Cruiser 300, seven Maruti Ertiga vehicles valued at around ₹81.14 lakh, one towing vehicle at ₹9 lakh, and one 16-seater Urbania bus priced at ₹31 lakh.\n\nThese vehicles will be procured through the Central Government’s Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal using a single-source procurement method. The government resolution ensures that the purchase adheres to applicable rules and stays within the available funds, with the expenditure met from the budgetary allocation for motor vehicle purchases. The approval of this expenditure comes against the backdrop of widespread drought and crop losses in Maharashtra, where farmers are demanding urgent financial aid.",
  "summary": "Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has approved the purchase of 44 new vehicles worth ₹12.68 crore to strengthen transport arrangements for visits by the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Union ministers, chief ministers of other states and other dignitaries, even as several parts of the state face drought conditions. According to a government resolution issued by the Protocol Department…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}