The curious case of old military vehicles sold to MPs, veterans and widows

Neither inflation nor depreciation seem to have been factored into the sale price; scheme continues despite defence panel's indication in March 2018 that it might be scrapped

The prices of vehicles that India’s Members of Parliament (MPs) are entitled to purchase from the disposal stocks of the armed forces have remained somewhat inflation- and even depreciation-proof at least for the past five years.

“To facilitate the MPs in the performance of their duty at their respective constituencies”, the defence ministry releases vehicles from its disposal stocks each year.

Vehicles that have crossed a specified mileage or have become old are discarded by the defence forces, mostly the Army. They are deposited with ordnance factories and replaced with new vehicles.

Apart from offering them to MPs, the Army makes such “surplus