& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Minister craves for luxury car

Violates govt rules to get one at cost of public money

Staff Correspondent
In breach of government rules, Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has lately invited tenders for a cross-country vehicle to be used by Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain.
According to procurement rules, a department cannot usually purchase of its own accord any vehicles, computers, furniture or other things.
For a purchase, it must go through the establishment ministry
Only in certain circumstances can a department make a purchase and that too on approval from the establishment ministry’ or the ministry concerned.
However, this rule docs not cover buying a vehicle for use by a minister.
FROM PAGE 1
Usually, the transport directorate under the establishment ministry supplies vehicles for the ministers. Its concerns include maintenance of the cars and supply of fuel for them.
According to an establishment ministry official, a minister can use a vehicle belonging to a department under his ministry. But that does not mean a vehicle can be bought for that purpose bypassing the establishment ministry.
In an advertisement published in a national daily on March 18, RHD invited formal offers to supply an inspection vehicle for official use by the communications minister. The last date for buying tender isApril 15,
Bitts* are to be accepted ’till 12 noon the following day and opened the same day.
Placed by Rafiqul Islam, executive engineer of RHD procurement and storage division, the tender ad says the vehicle shall be "brand new, latest model, year of manufacture not before July 2008, and designed according to latest technology. The interior shall be stylish and elegant look (sic)”.
The communications
minister has already got a Nissan compact from the transport pool. As per government rules, a minister cannot have more than one official vehicle.
A high official of the transport pool said ministers, stale ministers and others of similar ranks are entitled to a vehicle withatleast 1600cc engine.
During the BNP-Jamaat alliance rule, the cabinet approved rules that for official tours outside the capital, a minister can take high-powered all-wheel drive from a department under his ministry
In that case, the government will provide fuel.
.. ThS 5.9mn?unica9ops minister could not be reached for comments.
The information officer of his ministry said the vehicle that RHD has assigned for use by the minister was bought in 1999. Since that car is deemed too old to be used in long tours, the department has opted to buy a new car.
He also claimed RHD has followed transparent and proper procedure in obtaining approval for the purchase.