As car fund runs out, Kanpur mayor takes ride on cyclerickshaw

KANPUR: Ruling party mayor Pramila Pandey reached from her Moti Jheel office to Green Park to participate in an sports event on a cyclerickshaw on Thursday. As per the mayor, the treasurer of her department told her that there were not enough funds left with the KMC’s ‘nidhi’ account for the maintenance of the Innova vehicle provided to her soon after assuming office.
The vehicle was turned away on Thursday from the service centre, citing non-payment of previous couple dues, informed KMC sources.
Known for carrying a revolver and a rifle with her wherever she goes for self-defence, Pandey hogged limelight during the last civic polls.
Clad in ‘bhagwa’ (saffron) sari, 62-year-old Pandey took a ride on cycle rickshaw to the Green Park stadium from her Motijheel Kanpur Municipal Corporation office via Baqarmandi, Chunniganj and Mall Road covering the distance of less than 4-km in about 30 minutes. Pandey’s two staffers, however, followed her on a two-wheeler.
Pandey later reached her home in the car of divisional commissioner Santosh Kumar Sharma.
“She also announced that as her department is reeling under acute fund crunch, she will not be using the official vehicle till things normalised,” KMC sources informed TOI.
Pandey later said that her earlier stint as a corporator, she used to cover nearby distances in her ward on an scooter which allowed her more freedom to interact and greet people along the way. “Even when I was a corporator, I took ride on a scooter for meetings, be it to the KMC or anywhere else,” she told reporters. “However, there is no harm in it, sometimes one should also go eco-friendly and use no-pollution vehicles.”
Meanwhile, the city denizens, who were awe-struck on seeing the mayor riding a cyclerickshaw, showered praise on her. “The mayor has set an example for others to emulate,” said Rajesh Soni, a local resident.