Govt to procure 261 luxury jeeps for DCs, UNOs

Staff Reporter :
The government has approved a plan to buy a total of 261 luxury jeeps for the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) at high cost for conducting the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Such a decision was taken at a time when the country’s economic condition is dwindling without showing any upward trend for robust foreign reserves.

These jeeps will be procured through the Direct Purchase Method (DPM) without open tender, as per the Public Procurement Rules (PPR), 2008, Section 76(2), which allows for the procurement of these vehicles at a price exceeding the quoted limit.

Headed by Finance Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal, the economic affairs-related ministerial committee meeting approved this decision.

At the end of the meeting, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Sayed Mahbub Khan, confirmed the matter to the media.

According to this demand letter, 61 vehicles will be purchased for the DCs, and the total cost for procuring each vehicle is estimated to be Tk 14,584,500.

Therefore, the total expenditure for purchasing 61 vehicles will be Tk 888,450,500.

On the other hand, 200 vehicles will be procured for the UNOs, with each vehicle estimated to cost Tk 14,584,500, resulting in a total expense of Tk 2,918,900,000.

These vehicles will be procured through the state-owned enterprise Pragati Industries Limited.

In the demand letter it is stated that these jeeps will be purchased as a necessity for ensuring smooth and uninterrupted transportation services at the grassroots level, especially with the upcoming national parliamentary elections, mobile court operations, and maintaining law and order.

On the other hand, the government has issued directives to halt the procurement of all types of vehicles (land, water, and air) for budgetary constraints for the fiscal year 2023-24.

Additionally, within the budget for operation and development, expenditures for all types of vehicles, including motor vehicles, water vessels, and aircraft, have been suspended.

However, an exception is made for replacing vehicles that are more than ten years old, subject to approval by the Ministry of Finance.

Under the same directive, all foreign trips, workshops, and seminars have also been suspended within the budget for operation and development. Nevertheless, in some cases, limited foreign travel may be allowed with the necessary approvals.