The General Administration Department’s resolution, signed by its chief on September 4, 2026, earmarks ₹33 lakh per vehicle for four Innova‑HyCross (ZX‑7S) cars.
The four cars will serve Lokayukta Justice Sunil Shukre and his newly sworn colleagues—former justices Surendra Tawde and Suvarna Kevale, ex‑DGP Rashmi Shukla, and ex‑IAS officer Om Prakash Gupta.
Maharashtra has declared a drought across 265 of its 358 talukas, a stark backdrop to the luxury purchase. The state’s water‑supply agencies report a 30‑percent shortfall in rainfall for the season.
Minister Uday Samant has already barred formal felicitation events and curtailed dry‑fruit offerings at official meetings, urging officials to keep meals simple. Yet the Lokayukta fleet stands to cost the state over ₹1.3 cr in a period of fiscal restraint.
Opposition leaders in the assembly will table a motion next week demanding a forensic audit of the expenditure, while the state Congress has called for a budget review to curb such lavish spending during the drought crisis.