OUR POLITICAL GHAR JAMAIS Aug 19 2014 : The Economic Times (Mumbai) Whats Common Between Ahmed Patel & Nitin Gadkari? Both Defaced Lutyens Gangadhar.Patil @timesgroup At least 230 MPs have made unauthorised changes to bungalows in past 10 yrs Lots of lawmakers seem to revel in being lawbreakers in Lutyens Delhi.Building an extra room here, breaking down a wall there, a bigger kitchen, an office, even a badminton court -illegal alterations to the heritage buildings seem to be as rampant as those in a DDA colony based on the answers to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by ET. Everything is done without the approval of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), which is the only agency authorised to make such changes. The rules dont allow any alteration or construction in government bungalows in the Lutyens Bungalow Zone, but the documents show unauthorised changes by at least 230 members of parliament in the last 10 years. The list of MPs includes former and current ministers such as Nitin Gadkari, Kalraj Mishra, Yashwant Sinha and Ram Vilas Paswan besides Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Suresh Kalmadi and others. In as many as 150 cases, the CPWD is yet to remove the illegal structures. Construction on area ranging from 400 to 5,000 square feet and more has been left standing for several years, as per the RTI reply. Bungalows meant for ministers have a plot size of 8,250 square feet, typically including eight bedrooms, four rooms for domestic staff and two garages. The bungalows have lawns at the front and back as well. At bungalow No. 13 on Teen Murti lane, which was the former residence of road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, the unauthorised construction includes a room in front, one in the backyard and one near the servants quarters, measuring a total 1,000 square feet. Theres an additional room and an office on 1,173 square feet at the 10, Talkatora Road bungalow of former minister and BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha. Former UPA minister Kalmadi was sent a notice for constructing an office, room and shed. The total covered area measures about 3,300 square feet. The CPWD also objected to a badminton court built by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) minister Kalraj Mishra in 2006. That residence also has an unauthorised construction of temporary sheds and toilets, covering about 3,000 square feet. The bungalow of consumer affairs, food and public distribution minister Ram Vilas Paswan has two unauthorised air-conditioned cabins. The CPWD issued a notice to Deepender Hooda, son of Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, for constructing rooms, toilets and sheds covering 6,113 square feet area at his official bungalow on 9, Pandit Pant Marg without permission. Unauthorised alterations that included the removal of windows in the entrance hall, breaking down walls separating bedrooms and e toilets besides removing the s front portion of the main c hall were detected at the ofa ficial residence of Rajya t Sabha member Ajay San t cheti. The alterations were s reported in April. The list includes former MP Naveen Jindal, BJP minister Prakash Javdekar and the offices occupied by political parties. For instance, bungalows allotted to the BJP state office on Pandit Pant Marg and the BSP on Gurdwara Rakabganj Road have been modified illegally. Under the existing policy, notices are issued to occupants for the removal of illegal construction, failing which action is initiated for cancellation of allotment and eviction. Clearly, action hasnt ever been taken to that extent. What usually happens is that such constructions are removed after the occupant vacates the house and before the new allottee moves in. While the CPWD claims to have sent notices to the MPs who carried out unauthorised constructions, details on penalties levied or any other action taken is not known as the department did not furnish any details. Centre Had to Clear Illegal Constructions In March 2006, the central government told the Delhi High Court that it would clear all unauthorised alterations and constructions carried out in bungalows allotted to MPs in the Lutyens Bungalow Zone. The court had taken suo motu note of the matter.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 05:58:30 +0000
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