Representational Image I Mathrubhumi
Palakkad: Kerala State Excise Department will soon acquire 23 new vehicles to replace its ageing fleet of vehicles that have completed service period.
Kerala Government has allocated Rs 2.13 crores from the department's budget to buy 23 Mahindra Bolero Neo, with each vehicle costing around Rs 9 lakh. The department will receive the vehicles by February.
132 out of 362 vehicles in excise's inventory are old and have completed their service period. The majority of these vehicles were in service with the department for almost 10 to 14 years.
Further, the mounting cost of repairs is often a financial burden. For the excise department, lack of mobility has often left them stranded when chasing smugglers in vehicles. To overcome this, the department sought the government's help to acquire new vehicles to replace older models.
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