Former MPs hold on to government flats as guests

DNA: New Delhi: Friday, 08 August 2014.

As many as 24 former members of parliament continue to occupy comfortable official accommodations in Lutyens zone. To do so, they have discovered a unique way to circumvent laws by enrolling themselves as guests of current MPs.

A sitting MP is entitled to accommodate his guests temporarily in a government accommodation in Delhi. An RTI filed by dna reveals that former MPs hold on to the government flats in posh areas as guests of their friends still in parliament. Having a house in Delhi, give these MPs not just a fancy address, but also a place to carry out their political activities.

Out of the 46 leaders occupying guest accommodations as Rajya Sabha MPs' guests, 24 houses are occupied by the former MPs residing as guests of sitting MPs.

An MP represents atleast 10 lakh people. He can ask for a guest accommodation, in case people from his constituency come to Delhi for medical or other purposes. The accommodation can be allotted for a period of 3 weeks. On the contrary, these houses are misused by the MPs for obliging their 'homeless' political friends.

Former minister Sachin Pilot lives at 42 Meena Bagh as guest of senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh guest. While BJP leader Bangaru Laxman is dead, his daughter Shuthi Bangaru continues to occupy 228 North Avenue which her father occupied as guest since 2010. She is the guest of MP Dharmendra Pradhan.

Tariq Anwar, NCP leader from Maharashtra has former Rajya Sabha member Suresh Keshwani as guest since 2011. Harendra Singh Malik, former MP from Haryana is occupying 120 North Avenue as guest of Rajpal Singh Saini, BSP MP from Uttar Pradesh.

Former Lok Sahba MP and Lok Janshakti Party leader Ramchander Paswan is the guest of Ram Vilas Paswan at 41 South Avenue since 2011.

Besides former MPs, sitting Congress MP Anand Sharma who has been officially allotted 28, Lodhi Estate also occupies 63, South Avenue as guest. BJP leader Nejma Heptulla also has a guest accommodation at 117 North Avenue. Shobha Oza, president of Mahila Congress also has a guest accommodation at Delhi at 74, North Avenue.

The office of Sachin Pilot who has been allotted a house in June, said he is yet to move into the new house. "He has vacated his MP bungalow, but has not yet moved to any other house in Delhi," his office said.

Moolchand Meena former MP from Rajasthan, who lives as guest in South Avenue denied having a house. "I do not live there. But some other family members and people from my constituency are staying there," he said.

Reacting to the dna story, BJP MP from Mumbai and chairman of the housing committee, Kirat Somaiya said that the committee has decided to scrap all guest accommodations. "All the existing allotments are being cancelled and no new request would be entertained," he said. Somaiya also said there was a need to review the whole concept of guest accommodations. "We are looking at it in a holistic manner and I can assure you that within a few months there will be no guest accommodation," he added.