Mid-Day; Amit Singh, Shashank Shekhar; Dec 1, 2010,
More than five crore rupees spent as rent for hotel accommodation in the past four years, as CPWD has failed to complete renovation of the new office building, despite missing the deadline in September
Most would agree that there's something unusual about the ministry responsible for the uplift of rural poor functioning out of a five-star hotel and spending crores of rupees for it. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has been doing precisely this for the past four years.
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The current address of the ministry |
The office which was supposed to shift to in the second week of September to its new address in Jeevan Prakash building is waiting for the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) to complete the renovation work on the structure. This despite several ministry officials writing to the CPWD to speed up work.
In a letter written by the undersecretary to the Government of India to the CPWD, dated September 7, the official stated: "The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is shifting its office to the new hired office space on the 11th floor (A & B wing), Jeevan Prakash building during the week. It is therefore requested that the concerned authorities may be directed to make the lifts operational daily unto 11th floor at the building from 8.30 am onwards w.e.f. September 9 onwards."
Still there:
When MiD DAY reporters visited the site, the ministry was yet to be shifted. What was more astonishing was that the entire area was being sealed with no workers around. When we questioned the guard sitting there, he said that the area was sealed five days back by someone and he didn't know the exact reason for that.
Dr AS Sahota, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayti Raj, said: "There was a little problem with the NDMC. They wanted that their permission should also be taken. We are in talks with them and most probably the entire thing will be sorted out in a day or two."
When probed about the reason for delay in shifting the office, he passed on the entire blame to the CPWD officials. "We are trying to complete the process as soon as possible. But CPWD is only delaying the work. The dates for shifting the office in September were tentative. When inspected we saw that there were some necessary arrangements still required in the smooth functioning and shifting of the office. We hope that the entire work will be completed in another 15-20 days and the office will move on to the new address."
Money no object !:
In July, MiD DAY had reported how the ministry is running from the five-star hotel for the last four years, costing the exchequer crores of rupees, while another office space has already been allotted to them at Jeevan Prakash building.
According to an RTI reply, 5,500 sq ft of space on the sixth floor of Samrat Hotel in Chanakyapuri was hired by the ministry, from the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) on August 30, 2006, due to an 'acute space crunch'. Interestingly, the ministry is also functioning from a 4,406 sq ft office at Sardar Patel Bhawan and 1,800 sq ft of space at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi.
This information came to light in reply to an RTI application filed by a Delhi-based activist. The 5,500 sq ft space at Samrat Hotel originally came with the price tag of Rs 195 per sq ft as rent per month, for a period of two years commencing from September 1, 2006, to be extended further with an increase of 8 per cent after expiry of the tenure. After the period lapsed on August 30, 2008, the present rate of rent became Rs 210.60 per sq ft, from September 1, 2008. The total adds up to more than Rs 5.22 crore spent as rent so far.
Mail trail:
After the story came to light, the ministry wrote several letters to different agencies to speed up the transfer process. In one of the letters, the undersecretary mentions: "I am directed to say ministry of Panchayati Raj has to vacate the hired office space at Samrat hotel New Delhi and to shift office from there to 11th floor Jeevan Prakash Building by the end of this month (letter dated: 17th August) to execute/complete the required renovation work and to provide modular furniture items within stipulated period, the workers supervisory staff etc of the contractors of CPWD and NCCF will have to work day and night so that the said office space can be made in suitable usable condition."
Several rounds of meetings were also reportedly held with senior CPWD officials to review the progress of the renovation work done by the CPWD in the Jeevan Prakash building after MiD DAY reported the story.
When contacted, CPWD officials refused to comment.
Five Wise men:
The panchayati raj is a political system prevalent mainly in India, Pakistan, and Nepal. "Panchayat" literally means assembly (yat) of five (panch) wise and respected elders chosen and accepted by the village community. Traditionally, these assemblies settled disputes between individuals and villages. India has decentralised several administrative functions to the village level, empowering elected gram panchayats. Gram panchayats are not to be confused with the unelected khap panchayats (or caste panchayats) found in some parts of the country.
Rental rate:
- Rent per month (prior to September 1, 2008): Rs 10,72,500
- Rent per month (after September 1, 2008): Rs 11,58,300
- Total tariff from Sep 1, 2006 to Aug 31, 2008: Rs 2,57,40,000
- Total charges from Sep 1, 2008 to October 30, 2010: Rs 3,01,15,800
- Total cost incurred till June 30, 2010: Rs 5,58,55,800
Well Populated:
The RTI reveals that at present the office premises of the ministry at Samrat Hotel are occupied by an additional secretary, a joint secretary, a director, a national project manager, two under-secretaries, two private secretaries, two section officers along with their staff members and security personnel.
In all, there are six officers' rooms, a National Informatics Centre (NIC) room, a record room, a drivers' room and a large hall, which staff members of Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) and other departments occupy.
In addition to this a conference room has been prepared for convening meetings at the Samrat Hotel office.
Natural birth:
Prior to May 27, 2004, Panchayati Raj was a part of the Rural Development Ministry. To make panchayat institutions effective units of local self-governance and to ensure attainment of both economic development and social justice in rural areas where the bulk of Indian population lives, it was felt imperative to create a full-fledged Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
Accordingly, the ministry came into existence from May 27, 2004. Initially only six posts were sanctioned in the ministry. Later on additional posts were allotted and an office measuring 4,406 sq ft was allocated at Sardar Patel Bhavan. As this office space was found insufficient, it was felt necessary to hire some additional space.
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