BENGALURU: Amid a possible financial crunch in the state with the government's slew of guarantee schemes burdening the exchequer by Rs 56,000 crore per year, the Congress government in Karnataka has okayed the purchase of 33 high-end SUVs its Cabinet ministers.

The move has stirred a controversy, especially at a time when many Congress MLAs are protesting the withholding of funds for development activities.

Reacting to the row, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Friday that there is nothing wrong with the purchase of SUVs for ministers.

“What’s wrong? The ministers have to travel long distances and their safety also has to be considered. In other states, services of chartered flights and helicopters are available. I am using regular commercial flights for commuting,” he said.

The state government is going to purchase Toyota Innova hybrid SUVs for all the Cabinet ministers at an estimated cost of Rs 9.9 crore.

The government has provided a 4 (G) exemption under the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act, avoiding floating of tenders. Each car will cost about Rs 39 lakh.