Karnataka govt approves purchase of new cars for 33 ministers for 10 crores; BJP reacts
Bengaluru: In a move that has drawn criticism, the Karnataka government has decided to purchase 33 hybrid vehicles of the Toyota Innova Hycross model for its ministers. Each of these multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) costs approximately Rs 30 lakh, resulting in an expenditure of around Rs 10 crore for the exchequer.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah approved the purchase of these hybrid vehicles, which are claimed to be the world's first fully ethanol-powered cars equipped with flex-fuel engines. The government placed the order shortly after the model's launch on August 29.
This decision has come under scrutiny from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has accused the Congress-led government of prioritizing the acquisition of high-end vehicles for ministers while the state grapples with severe drought conditions.
Notably, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had already been allotted a Toyota Fortuner about two months ago. To procure the new cars for ministers, the government has invoked the 4G exemption clause, as per an order issued on August 17.
The order states: "Toyota Kirloskar motor company, Bengaluru, will be approached directly with exemption under section 4G of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act of 1999 through the department of personnel and administrative reforms (DPAR). For good quality services under acceptable rates, DPAR is vested with the powers to procure them."
According to the KTPP Act, the 4G exemption can be sought by the government whenever there is a "natural calamity or emergency declared by the government...in respect of specific procurements, as may be notified by the government from time to time."
Government sources have indicated that the decision to purchase new vehicles is based on a norm stipulating that the vehicle should either have covered 1 lakh kilometers or completed three years on the road. "Since three years, no vehicle has been purchased for ministers. The last one was bought in 2020 during the tenure of former CM BS Yediyurappa," explained government officials.
Officials from the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) noted that procuring new vehicles is a "convention" when a new government assumes power. "When we have new ministers, it is a convention that the CM authorizes the purchase of new vehicles for comfortable travel of ministers across the state," said a DPAR official.
BJP MLA CN Ashwath Narayan criticized the move, stating, "The government is facing problems related to funds and should be more responsible when it comes to such expenses. The government has completed 100 days but is still struggling to arrange funds to take up development works," he alleged.
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Karnataka sees drop in groundwater use, surge in recharge capacity: 2025 report
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka has recorded a significant decline in groundwater usage alongside a notable increase in annual recharge capacity, reflecting the impact of sustained water conservation efforts and good rainfall, Minister N S Boseraju said on Wednesday.
Releasing the 2025 Groundwater Assessment Report at Vikas Soudha, he said the gains are the result of good rainfall, focused policy interventions, and large-scale water conservation initiatives implemented over the past two years under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
According to the report, overall groundwater extraction has reduced from 68.44 per cent in 2024 to 66.49 per cent in 2025, indicating more responsible and sustainable usage patterns across the state.
At the same time, annual groundwater recharge capacity has increased from 18.74 billion cubic metres (BCM) in 2024 to 19.28 BCM in 2025, while annual extractable groundwater resources rose from 16.88 BCM to 17.41 BCM, the minister’s office said in a statement.
“This simultaneous reduction in usage and increase in recharge reflects our government’s commitment to long-term water sustainability,” the Minor Irrigation, Science and Technology Minister said.
The improvement has been driven largely by the expansion of water conservation structures (WCS) across the state.
Recharge through such structures increased by 29.11 per cent, from 0.81 BCM to 1.04 BCM within a year, the report stated.
Notably, the number of water conservation works has risen sharply from 3.15 lakh in 2024 to 3.94 lakh in 2025, strengthening the state’s groundwater recharge ecosystem.
The report indicates improvement in groundwater status across 11 taluks, with several regions moving to safer categories.
Highlighting these changes, the minister pointed out that Chamarajanagar taluk has improved from "over-exploited" to "critical".
Similarly, taluks including Athani, Channapatna, Molakalmuru, Ranebennur, Savanur, and Shiggaon have successfully transitioned from "semi-critical" to "safe" status.
Domestic groundwater extraction has also declined by 0.58 per cent, dropping from 1,21,731 hectare-metres (ham) in 2024 to 1,21,023 ham in 2025. Officials attribute this to increased reliance on surface water under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
Boseraju said that initiatives such as lake rejuvenation, year-round water supply through treated and surface water, sustained public awareness campaigns, and good rainfall have played a key role in reducing over-extraction and enhancing recharge.
“Instead of depending solely on the 120-day monsoon, we are ensuring water availability throughout all 365 days through scientific management. This has strengthened long-term water security for both farmers and urban residents,” he said.
Announcing a major technological step forward in future governance, the minister added, “To further safeguard our resources, we are rolling out the Digital Water Stack (DWS) initiative. Under this framework, we will soon initiate space technology and AI-based satellite surveillance to obtain real-time data for continuous groundwater monitoring.”
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