Economic
Times: Chandigarh: Friday, 17 July 2015.
Union
Minister Birender Singh has not cleared the "outstanding" amount of
Rs 24.23 lakh of the loans he had taken as an MLA in Haryana, an RTI reply
stated.
As per
information provided in the reply, Singh was among the 13 former MLAs of the
Haryana Assembly, who were yet to clear their "house building advance
dues".
Similarly,
there were four ex-MLAs including Singh, who have outstanding payment against
"motor car advance", as per the RTI reply provided by State Public
Information Officer to Hisar-based RTI activist Naresh Kumar.
Kumar who had
sought information from the Vidhan Sabha seeking detail of those members who
were yet to clear their outstanding payment.
Birender
Singh, who had availed "house building advance" to the tune of Rs 25
lakh in two instalments in the year 2007 was yet to repay pending amount of Rs
15.33 lakh.
Similarly, in
case of Rs 10 lakh "motor car advance" extended to him in 2009, the
Union Minister is yet to repay Rs 8.90 lakh.
Notably,
Birender Singh, who is at present Union Rural Development Minister, had
switched over to the BJP from the Congress before last year's Haryana assembly
polls held in October and had served as State Finance Minister in the erstwhile
Congress government between 2005-2009 when he was also the MLA of the party.
In case of
house building advance, the RTI reply said that among others who were yet to
clear their outstanding payments included former MLAs Raj Rani Poonam (Rs 29.05
lakh), Radhey Shyam (Rs 22.72 lakh) and Arjan Singh (Rs 22.94 lakh).
Haryana
Assembly Secretary R K Nandal told reporters here that the amount was
outstanding against Birender Singh and other members.
He said that
the house building and motor car advance is extended to the members of the
state assembly.
Nandal said
that when there is delay in repayment, notices are sent in due course.
Meanwhile,
Birender Singh was not available for his comments despite repeated attempts to
contact him on his phone.
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