Several ex-ministers, MPs yet to vacate quarters: M Venkaiah Naidu

Naidu said, “I don’t look after MPs’ accommodation. For MPs, there is a House Committee of Lok Sabha and a House Committee of Rajya Sabha.

Several former UPA ministers and MPs are still occupying government bungalows and flats even a year after the NDA government came to power, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said on Tuesday.

Union ministers Radha Mohan Singh and Choudhury Birender Singh are yet to move into government bungalows since they have not been vacated by previous occupants.

According to government data, at least 30 MPs are still living in government-run hotels as the houses allotted to them were yet to be vacated by the previous occupants.

Naidu said, “I don’t look after MPs’ accommodation. For MPs, there is a House Committee of Lok Sabha and a House Committee of Rajya Sabha. People come to me because I am easily accessible. Sometimes the committees approach me and say they don’t have bungalows and we provide them from the general pool. For example, Mallikarjun Kharge, AK Antony, Veerappa Moily — we have not disturbed them, because of their seniority and also because their bungalows are not in the ministerial pool.”

While Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have their own pool of houses, sometimes due to shortage of flats and houses, the UD ministry transfers some houses from its general pool to theirs, to tide over the crisis.

“Eviction notices are given to ex-MPs who have not vacated their houses. There is no Congress or BJP here. If there are sitting MPs occupying Type-8 bungalows and my ministers are waiting in Ashok Hotel, what should I do? No sitting MP has been given an eviction notice without having been given alternative accommodation according to his eligibility. Some people are saying I am being lenient. My ministers are saying ‘one year is over and and we are sitting in a hotel and ex-ministers are sitting in Type-8 bungalows’. The mandate to me is to provide bungalows to ministers, judiciary, Army and IAS,” Naidu said.

In April this year, the Cabinet Committee on Accommodation (CCA) cancelled the allotment of five MPs as they were staying in houses that were higher to the category entitled to them. Among the MPs who were asked to vacate were: Congress’ Dr Sanjay Singh (RS), BK Hari Prasad (RS), Askh Ali Tak (RS), JD-U’s KC Tyagi (RS) and NCP’s Udayan Raje Bhonsle (LS).

Source:: Indian Express