Political parties occupy prime land in Delhi

DNA: New Delhi: Friday, October 24, 2014.

Besides their central and state offices, political parties across the divide are occupying dozens of government-owned houses and properties in the national capital. In Lytens' Delhi both Congress and BJP occupy eight properties each in VP House, a stone's throw from Parliament House. All these houses in the heart of the capital come to these political parties at at throwaway prices. 

Despite getting them at cheap prices, the parties have failed to pay rents or clear dues.

The Congress party alone has five bungalows which are being used as party offices. Besides the AICC, which operates from 26 Akbar Road, Congress has bungalows including 24 Ashok Road, 5 Raisina Road, 2 DDU Marg and CII/109 Chanakyapuri. From these bungalows, offices of the Youth Congress, Mahila Congress and the Delhi state unit operate.

A reply to an RTI query filed by dna revealed that the Congress also has eight flats at VP House. When dna visited these flats, we found that these eight flats were occupied by the party workers, working either at party office or at the office of Sonia Gandhi in the parliament.

"We have been living here for the past 14 years," said Lata Bariya, whose husband is a Congress worker, working as parliament staff of the UPA chairperson.

Like the Congress, the BJP too has eight houses inside the VP House. While two houses have been occupied by the ABVP, which uses it as their office, the others are occupied by their party staff.

Like the Congress, the BJP too has two bungalows. One being used as the national office and the other as BJP state office.

When Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister, the Congress party was given land, where today Jawahar Bhawan stands on Raisina Marg, to construct a party office. The construction of the building started while he was alive, but could not be completed in his life time. After his death, the party never moved to the building and continues to operate from 26 Akbar Road. The Jawahar Bhawan is now used by Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, the NGO run by the first family of the Congress.

During UPA's first term in power, the party was allotted another piece of land on DDU Marg. The construction of the new Congress headquarters is still going on.

Besides the BJP and the Congress, Bahujan Samajwadi Party, NCP, Samajwadi Party, CPI and CPI (M) also have government bungalows which are being used to run party offices.

The urban development ministry through the directorate of estates and Delhi Development Authority allots land to political parties that have a national status. Each political party is entitled to one piece of land of minimum size 250 square feet to set up office.

Despite the parties, including CPI, SP and BSP, having lost their national status after the recent general elections, they continue to occupy offices. "Even the two big major political parties are not entitled to more than one piece of land. But since all political groups are involved, nobody objects to this misuse and these parties have their way," said an officer of the directorate of estate.