India Today | Ministry of housing allows paramilitary personnel to retain family accommodation up to 3 years

Apr 11,2018

Nearly four months after India Today brought to light the plight of paramilitary personnel who were upset over a notification by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) directing them to vacate or sell their Delhi accommodations.

Today, the directive was withdrawn by the authorities. The notification that was to be enforced from June 2018 asked families that have been residing in the Delhi accommodation for three years.

The latest development comes as a relief for the families of the paramilitary personnel especially those posted in Jammu and Kashmir.

The latest memorandum of the MoHUA, says that all India services which include Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) also known as the paramilitary can continue to hold the family accommodations for three years at nominal rate fee. This is applicable only in the case where personnel or all India service officers are transferred from one place to another within the non-family stations.

The Urban Development Ministry issued a diktat few months ago as it felt that personnel continued to hold the accommodation beyond the stipulated period.

The problem is largely metro centric and specifically to Delhi where occupants are reluctant to vacate, which implies that there is limited accommodations available for employees being posted from other states to the national capital. At present, there is a huge demand for general pool accommodations. Though forces have their own campuses now, but the growing strength of CAPF in the last few years has only increased the demand, while the supply of flats is far less.

An officer on condition of anonymity told India Today that "I was even willing to give up my job. I can't leave my wife and kids on the road. A soldier's salary cannot afford to keep them in prime zones where children go to school. Outside accommodation is either too far or too costly. While the breadwinner is fighting for the country, there was no way we can look after our families. So this is a welcome step. As the pool accommodation system provides a sense of safety."

The men in uniform told India Today that the earlier decision was adding to an unwanted stress on soldiers who were serving the nation in difficult circumstance.