Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje has raised serious concerns over what she termed a “massive financial scandal” in Karnataka involving renting of sweeping machines. According to a report in Deccan Herald, the Karnataka government on Thursday approved a Rs 613 crore plan to procure 46 mechanical road sweeping machines for a period of seven years.
Union Minister calls out ‘massive financial scandal’
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Karandlaje pointed out that a self-propelled road sweeper costs about Rs 50 to 80 lakhs, which means 46 machines would cost roughly between Rs 37 to Rs 38 crores.
She added, “Even if the municipality pays salaries for 46 drivers and 100 helpers for 7 years, the total would still be only around Rs 60 to 70 crores.”
The minister further noted that even after considering the cost of maintenance and manpower, the overall amount should not exceed Rs 100 crores.
A massive financial scandal is unfolding in Karnataka. The Congress government has hired 46 road sweeping machines for 7 years at a shocking cost of ₹613 crores. A self-propelled road sweeper costs about ₹50 to 80 lakhs, which means 46 machines would come to roughly ₹37 to 38… pic.twitter.com/68zQVGaqLN
— Shobha Karandlaje (@ShobhaBJP) November 16, 2025
“This raises serious doubts about where the remaining Rs 500 crores is going and who is benefiting from this inflated expenditure,” she asked. Karandlaje further urged the government to drop the plan and make sure there is “full transparency for the people of Karnataka.”
Original proposal was even costlier
According to the DH report, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) had initially proposed procuring 59 sweeping machines on a rental basis at a total cost of Rs 781 crore. However, the Urban Development Department (UDD) trimmed the number of machines to 46 and slightly increased the cost of each vehicle by Rs 10 lakh before sending it for Cabinet approval.
The proposal now indicates that the authority will spend nearly Rs 2 crore per machine per year.
Speaking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Karnataka Law Minister HK Patil said that the administrative approval for the proposal had been granted and that it will be entirely funded by the five newly created municipal corporations in Bengaluru. He said the 46 machines will be distributed across all corporations to improve road cleanliness.
Karandlaje, however, questioned the inflated expenditure. “Even after adding machines, manpower and maintenance, the entire cost should not exceed ₹100 crores. Yet the government is spending ₹613 crores. This raises serious doubts about where the remaining ₹500 crores is going and who is benefiting from this inflated expenditure,” she said.
