With general elections coming up in the state of Andhra Pradesh, the Telugu Desam Party has promised a new Maruti DZire car to unemployed youth. The car will come in with a subsidy of Rs. 2 lakhs while the beneficiary will have to pay only 10% of the total cost of the vehicle.
The balance amount will be paid by the Andhra Pradesh Brahmin Cooperative Credit Society in the form of a repayable loan. The scheme, announced by Chandrababu Naidu is sure to attract votes from Brahmin youth in the state that are currently unemployed.
A total of 50 such DZire cars have been set apart for this distribution scheme in the first phase. Instalments will be paid by the government each month. Out of the 50 such cars allocated, 30 units have already been distributed.
This car will benefit the unemployed youths as they can be used as cabs and help them earn an amount which would help in bettering the conditions of their families. Along with the distribution of Maruti Suzuki DZire sedans, the government is also distributing 14 million (1.4 crore) smartphones to the youth in the state.
Maruti DZire Tour is sold only as a permit vehicle which can be exclusively used as taxis. These vehicles have to be registered with yellow number plates while they can be registered as private vehicles but higher insurance and tax amounts make them unfeasible.
The Maruti DZire sedan is powered by 1.2-litre K-Series petrol engine and the 1.3-litre DDiS diesel motor while it also comes in with factory fitted CNG. The petrol engine makes 82 bhp power and 113 Nm torque while the diesel engine offers 74 bhp power and 190 Nm torque. Both engines get mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox and options AMT unit. It is positioned on the company’s new Heartect platform and is priced from Rs.5.60 lakhs.
