UPA netas cling to Lutyens’ bungalows despite eviction notices

Soon after coming to power, Modi Government had set the cat among pigeons by making it clear that it will not indulge in politics of appeasement and allot bungalows in Lutyens' zone only to Cabinet Ministers and heads of Constitutional bodies, not MPs.

The plush government bungalows are still occupied by some of the Congress leaders in some of the toniest localities in the Capital despite the Supreme Court's direction which clearly said that these bungalows are to be vacated within a month of ceasing to be minister in power.

A July 5, 2013 judgement of the Supreme Court had said: "Since allotment of government accommodation is a privilege given to ministers and members of Parliament, the matter of unauthorized retention should be intimated to the Speaker/Chairman of the House and action should be initiated by the House committee for breach of privilege which an MP/Minister enjoys and appropriate committee should recommend to the Speaker/Chairman for taking appropriate action/eviction within a time-bound period."

UPA men who are overstaying owe nearly 21 lakh to the Govt

Sixteen former ministers of the UPA government are staying unauthorized in government bungalows for over a month now and have been served eviction notices.

These former ministers owe a total damage charges of Rs 20,92,463 for one month of unauthorised stay till July 26, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu said in a written reply.

Why the overstay?

Since decades, such Government buildings in the Capital are being occupied by Congress loyalists as the government always took care since decades. Then there are those who are living in such houses even after completing their tenure as Members of the Parliament.

The former regime, by exercising its discretionary quota of the Ministers or through the Cabinet Committee on Accommodation (CCA), had reserved such bungalows for Ministers and heads of Constitutional bodies along with MPs. It was yet another move by the UPA which continued the party's tradition of taking good care of its loyalists.

Who all are the defaulters for overstaying?

Senior Congress and UPA stalwarts Jaipal Reddy, Ajit Singh, Krishna Tirath, Sachin Pilot, MM Palam Raju, Girija Vyas, Farooq Abdullah, Beni Prasad Varma, Kapil Sibal and Srikant Jena are among 16 former ministers who have not vacated their accommodation till date.

Another 21 former ministers are staying in General Pool Bungalows and they have been given 15 days' time to move into their entitled accommodation to be provided by respective House Committees.

These former ministers who are members of either Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha have been advised to obtain accommodation from their respective pools.

These former ministers included AK Antony, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjuna Kharge, Veerappa Moily, Vyalar Ravi, Oscar Fernandes, Jairam Ramesh, Jyotiraditya Scindia, KV Thomas, K Rahman Khan, KH Muniyappa, Shashi Tharoor, K Chiranjivi, Mullappally Ramachandran, Rajiv Shukla, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, AH Khan Choudhury, Ninon Erring, EM Sudershan Nachiappan, KC Venugopal and J Seelam.

Besides Naidu said a total of 683 flats ranging from Type I to Type VII are under unauthorised occupation of former employees and others for a period ranging from one month to 21 years. All of them have been issued eviction notices.

The former regime, by exercising its discretionary quota of the Ministers had a habit of giving such undue favours. Several such Government buildings in the Capital have been occupied by the Congress loyalists since decades. Then there are those who are living in such houses even after completing their tenure as Members of the Parliament.

Unlike his predecessors, Modi has not exercised any discretionary power to benefit his MPs and close aides, but getting the bungalows evicted from the Congressmen is becoming a big task for the incumbent government.