‘Vegan leather, aesthetic look’: Inside air-conditioned VIP boat plans for Yamuna that sparked enquiry in Delhi

Air-conditioned cabins, business class pushback seats for VIP and VVIPs, vegan leather, hand rests with wooden finish, premium aesthetic look and more - an array of amenities were planned for two boats, worth over ₹3 crore each in Delhi. The purpose? Inspections of river Yamuna by dignitaries.Following criticism of these extravagant plans, the tender process for these boats now stands cancelled, with two senior officials involved with the procurement of these boats suspended. A day after HT reported on the tender in its March 18 report, an enquiry was launched into the tender dated March 12, to understand “the circumstances under which they were issued". A political controversy erupted over reports of these VIP boats, as the AAP and the Congress lashed out at the BJP-led Delhi government, and labelled the boat plan a “wastage of public funds and case of misplaced priorities.”Rooftop marine ACs, vegan leather, ‘aesthetic’ look As reported by HT earlier, the “luxury” boats that the previous tender aimed to procure had many amenities and features, including the capacity to accommodate 16 to 20 persons, “cassette-type rooftop marine air conditioners,” “customised business class push-back VIP seats” and “a dedicated pantry for serving food”, among others.v