Thar purchases worth Rs 7 crore, Rs 5 crore spent on add-ons: Odisha govt flags irregularities, orders audit

As many as 21 items are learnt to have been added to each Mahindra Thar vehicle, with the overall customisation bill touching Rs 5 crore. (Representational Image)

The Odisha government has ordered a special audit into alleged irregularities in the procurement and customisation of Mahindra Thar all-terrain vehicles purchased for the state's forest and environment department, reports The Indian Express.

The decision follows questions raised over the cost structure of the purchase. While 51 Mahindra Thar vehicles were procured in November last year for Rs 7.1 crore, nearly Rs 5 crore was spent separately on their customisation.

According to a note sheet signed by Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia, a special audit of the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) will be conducted by the Special Audit Team of the Accountant General, Odisha. The audit will focus on the procurement and customisation process.

The minister had earlier said the matter would be probed after allegations of financial irregularities surfaced.

A senior official said the audit would examine whether due process was followed while approving the customisation costs, whether the finance department's consent was obtained, the necessity of the items installed, and whether any external agencies were involved in the process.

Official sources said as many as 21 items were added to each vehicle, with the overall customisation bill touching Rs 5 crore. The additions were meant to enable faster patrolling, monitoring and surveillance, reduce response time, and check illegal activities such as poaching and timber smuggling.

The vehicles were also customised for firefighting operations, given Odisha's recurring problem with forest fires.

"The decision to customise the vehicles was taken keeping in mind specific aspects like making them fit to run in the rugged and hostile terrains in the forests, so that intensive patrolling can be done. If any irregularities are found during the audit process, appropriate action will be taken,” an official familiar with the matter told The Indian Express.

The 51 vehicles have been deployed across 22 wildlife divisions in the state, with the highest allocation of nine vehicles going to the Similipal Tiger Reserve, where poaching continues to pose a major threat.

Odisha's protected area network spans approximately 8,869 square kilometres, accounting for 5.69% of the its total geographical area. This includes national parks, a tiger reserve, 19 wildlife sanctuaries and several conservation reserves.