Bhubaneswar, Dec 23: The Odisha government has ordered a special audit into alleged irregularities in the procurement and customisation of 51 Mahindra Thar vehicles for forest field operations, a move that has turned into a political flashpoint in the state.
Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia has directed the Additional Chief Secretary of the department to fast-track the special audit by the Accountant General (A&E), Odisha, and ensure there is no delay in the probe.
According to official records, the vehicles were procured at a cost of about ₹7 crore, with each vehicle priced at around ₹14 lakh. An additional ₹5.02 crore was subsequently spent on renovation and customisation, taking the total expenditure to approximately ₹12.02 crore. Some documents place the overall cost slightly higher, at around ₹12.35 crore, including customisation expenses.
A senior official familiar with the matter said the audit team would “leave no stone unturned” in examining whether due procedure was followed while sanctioning the substantial customisation costs. The audit will also assess whether mandatory clearance from the finance department was obtained and whether the 21 add-ons fitted in each vehicle were operationally essential or amounted to an extravagant use of public funds.
“We will scrutinise whether any external agencies played a role in inflating costs. If anyone is found guilty of wrongdoing, strict action will be taken as per rules,” the official said, indicating that disciplinary proceedings could follow if irregularities are established.
The modifications, officials said, were intended to enhance patrolling efficiency, surveillance, emergency response and firefighting capabilities in difficult forest terrain. However, the expenditure came under scrutiny after the issue was raised in the Odisha Assembly in March. Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo sought details on the procurement process and the additional spending on vehicle upgrades.
Facing sustained questions from the opposition and media reports, Khuntia had earlier clarified that the modifications were approved based on ground-level requisitions from divisional forest officers to meet operational requirements in remote and inaccessible areas.
The special audit will focus on the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and is expected to examine the entire procurement and modification process to determine whether there was any unnecessary or irregular expenditure. The minister has said that accountability will be fixed if lapses are found.
