Kiran now land-cruises to office
HYDERABAD: Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who is having the worst bumpy ride ever politically, has some relief with his commuting to office getting more comfortable.
Three Toyota Fortuner vehicles in Kiran Kumar Reddy's six-vehicle convoy were replaced with brand new Toyota Land Cruisers and Kiran Kumar Reddy has begun travelling in the swanky new vehicle after 'pooja' on Dasara.
Top sources disclosed to Express that Kiran Kumar Reddy was reportedly not comfortable with the Toyota Fortuner, especially with the seating. The bullet-proof Fortuner vehicles were purchased only in June 2012.
'The VIP had a problem with the seating in Fortuner and also the insufficient roof height as he is tall. We did make some alterations to the seats, but he was still uncomfortable and felt cramped. It was then decided to replace them with Land Cruisers,' sources said.
The Land Cruiser, which bears a striking resemblance to the Fortuner, reportedly cost anywhere between `1 crore to `1.5 crore, bullet-proofing and other features included.
Since both Fortuner and the eight-seater Land Cruiser look similar, it did not pose much problem for his security set up as security personnel normally insist on having similar looking vehicles in the convoy to ensure that none makes out in which car the VIP is seated. Apart from the three new Land Cruisers, the other three cars in the convoy continue to be Fortuners.
The Land Cruisers of chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy are believed to have arrived straight from the Toyota Kirloskar Motors Pvt Ltd in Karnataka. Like Fortuners, the Land Cruisers bear the registration number 1818.
Sources said that presently, only the chief minister of AP has Land Cruisers. In terms of luxury, it is only next to BMWs used by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Each Fortuner costs around `23 lakh. With bullet-proofing, it costs around `50 lakh. The Land Cruiser on the other hand costs between `1 crore to `1.5 crore.
News Posted: 16 October, 2013
|
