Parties to evict govt bungalows, to get land on basis of no of MPs

New Delhi, Jun 16 (UNI) Political parties occupying government bungalows would now be evicted from their prime locations in Luyten's Delhi and given plots of land in the capital on the basis of the number of MPs they have in Parliament.

Under the new policy approved by the Union Cabinet today major National political parties like the Congress and the BJP, which have more than 201 MPs, will get four acre plot of land while the smaller state parties having less than four MPs would have to be satisfied with an office in VP House. To get land allotted for constructing an office the national/state political party recognised by the Election Commission should have a minimum of seven MPs in both the houses taken together.

The political parties will most probably be given land in R K Puram, Mehrauli and Badarpur areas, Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy said. The allotment of plots would be done within next two months, he said.

Briefing newspersons about the cabinet decision, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that policy for allotment of land was ''uniform and rational'' so as to enable effective functioning of the parties.

He said the policy was decided in view of the Supreme Court's directive to these parties to vacate government bungalows. The Apex Court had asked the government to allot land to political parties to construct their offices and given three years time for this purpose.

Under the new policy the quantum of land considered for allotment would be according to the strength of MPs of the political parties in both the houses of Parliament. Parties having seven to 15 MPs would get the minimum 500 sq meter land in the institutional area at institutional price. Political parties having 16 to 25 MPs would be allotted 1000 sq meters of land while those having 26 to 50 MPs would be given 2000sq meters of land.

Parties with 51 to 100 MPs would get one acre of land while those national parties having 101 to 200 MPs would get two acres of land and party having more than 201 MPs would get 4 acres of land, he said. The land to be allotted may comprise of one or more plots.

In case a political party has been allotted land earlier, fresh allotment of land in accordance with the above norms shall be considered after deducting the quantum of land already allotted, he said.

However, the political parties would have to fulfill certain conditions for land allotment which includes furnishing a certificate from the Election Commission confirming their status as the National/ state recognised parties. Moreover, premises allotted should be used only for office purpose and never be used for residential or commercial purposes, he said.

The parties presently occupying a government bungalow/ suite in Vithalbhai Patel House for the purpose of office would have to vacate it immediately after construction of their office building on the allotted plot or within three years from the date of taking over possession of land, whichever is earlier, he said.

The cabinet has clarified that the building constructed on the allotted land shall be utilised by the parties for their National level unit as well as other wings of the respective organisation.

Sub-letting of the plots shall be governed by the instruction restrictions issued in this regard for the institutional plots, he said.

The land shall be allotted on leasehold basis and the allotment shall be made on payment of zonal variant institutional rate. The allottee party shall also pay the annual ground rent amounting to 2.5 percent of the premium, he informed.

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