The Hindu: New Delhi: Friday, April 13, 2012.
President Pratibha Patil was at the centre of yet another controversy over her post-retirement home in Pune.
An organisation of ex-servicemen in Pune has alleged that over fives acres of land was allotted for building a house for her to stay after she demits office in July this year when her five-year term ends.
Suresh Patil, a retired Lt Col of the Pune-based ‘Justice for Jawan,' part of NGO ‘Green Thumb' group, who has accessed details about the government's measures for providing her housing in Pune, claims that a large extent of land measuring over 2.60 lakh sq. ft was alloted to her in Khadki cantonment in Pune.
He claims that a house with a plinth area of 4,500 sq. ft is being built for her by bringing down two British-era county bungalows.
The former Army official questioned why such a large extent of land was being fenced to protect this house for Ms. Pratibha Patil, who recently made news when an RTI application brought out the fact that over Rs. 205 crore was spent on her foreign travels.
However, Rashtrapati Bhavan maintains that there has been no wrong doing or violation of rules. All rules were being strictly adhered to for a post-retirement house for the President.
Col. Patil said that he had sent several RTI applications to the Army's Southern Command seeking reasons for fencing the entire five acre land with a wall but failed to get any response.
Reacting to the allegations, Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson Archana Datta said “the land in question is a defence land.
“The question of transfer of land to any individual does not arise.”
She said the house will remain with the President till her life time and go back to the defence.
.JPG)
.JPG)
