'All parties will have to vacate government bungalows in Lutyens’ Delhi'

Jun 04,2022

'All parties will have to vacate government bungalows in Lutyens’ Delhi'

NEW DELHI: All political parties will have to eventually vacate government bungalows in Lutyens' Delhi, a top government functionary has said. If the BJP takes the lead to vacate the bungalows it occupies in the heart of the national capital, Congress would be compelled to do so, which currently occupies three bungalows.
Responding to a question on the BJP continuing to occupy bungalows on Ashoka Road after constructing its own headquarters on Deen Dayal Upadhaya Marg, Union housing minister Hardeep Singh Puri said, "Of all the tasks I perform, getting individual evictions is not an easy thing and I'm very happy that at least when there is flak, people are not saying we are targeting only one. We treat everyone exactly the same."

He said some parties that had been allotted land to build their offices had asked for more time, in view of the pandemic. The government has allotted land to Congress which is yet to complete construction of its new headquarters.
"It (evictions of political parties) is in process. It will involve all political parties. It's in the pipeline," Puri said.
As per rules, once a political party is allotted land for construction of its headquarters in Delhi, it has to vacate the government bungalow within three years. In case of both Congress and BJP, these parties were allotted land by the land and development office (L&DO) under the housing ministry. While Congress has been seeking time extension, the BJP has built a huge headquarters.

"It (evictions of political parties) is in process. It will involve all political parties. It's in the pipeline," Puri said.
As per rules, once a political party is allotted land for construction of its headquarters in Delhi, it has to vacate the government bungalow within three years. In case of both Congress and BJP, these parties were allotted land by the land and development office (L&DO) under the housing ministry. While Congress has been seeking time extension, the BJP has built a huge headquarters.
The government has allotted Delhi unit of BJP a bungalow
on Pandit Pant Marg.

In response to another question over why the government has allowed some people to continue staying in government bungalows even after the expiry of their allotment, Puri said in some cases, the government "regularises" the continued occupation of bungalows by those who get "another job". He was responding to a question on a former Congress MP retaining his official accommodation.