India, Nov. 19 -- A major controversy has erupted after the Karnataka cabinet cleared a plan to rent 46 mechanical road-sweeping machines for seven years at an estimated cost of Rs.613.2 crore. With the arrangement working out to nearly Rs.2 crore per machine annually, critics are accusing the government of pushing through an unnecessarily expensive model and ignoring expert advice.

Opposition leaders, civic activists, and citizen groups argued that buying the sweepers outright would be far more economical. A state technical committee had earlier recommended purchase, and an independent assessment found that renting each truck would cost roughly Rs.50 lakh more over the contract period than owning one, even though the upfront cost of buy...