Five months after the formation of the new Union government, only less than half of the newly appointed members of Lok Sabha have been allotted government houses. 289 out of the 543 members are still putting up either at state guest houses or at Ashok Hotel in Delhi. Those in the wait include the housing committee chairman Kirit Somaiya and the MoS for home affairs Kiren Rijiju.
Amongst those holding a ministry portfolio and putting up at Ashok Hotel or state guest houses include minister for skill development, entrepreneurship, youth affairs and sports, Sarbananda Sonowal; minister for micro, small and medium enterprise, Kalraj Mishra; minister for mines, steel, labour and employment, Narender Tomar; minister for tribal affairs Jula Oram; MoS for ministry of textile Santosh Gangwar and MoS for home affairs Kiren Rijiji.
A majority of first time MPs and Bollywood celebrities turned MPs are also in the waiting list to get an address in Delhi. Those waiting include Bhagwant Maan and Dharam Vira Gandhi of the Aam Aadmi Party, BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi, actors turned politician Kiron Kher, Hema Malini, Vinod Khanna and Babul Supriya.
Kirit Somaiya, who is on the waiting list, is the chairperson of the housing committee, which is responsible for getting the house vacated from former MPs and has to ensure timely allotment of houses to the new MPs.
Somaiya, who is currently putting up at Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, told dna he would move into a government house on October 16 since he is busy in Maharashtra assembly elections. He also took credit for getting the bungalows vacated in record time. "Except for 30 former MPs who had been ultimately served eviction notices, all the bungalows have been vacated," he said.
Out of these 30, only seven are yet to vacate, while three MPs have moved to court seeking an extension on their stay.
The minister however blamed the sitting MPs for the delay. He said that despite the fact that houses are allotted to them, many keep waiting hoping to get a better house, as a result the process gets delayed. Refusing to name any co- parliamentarian he said, "We can only allot the house, but cannot forcefully shift them in."
He also said that in some bungalows the CPWD is carrying out the repairs and renovation work and so the allotment has been held up. "It takes atleast two months for the Central Public works Department (CPWD) to renovate the house. We have asked the agency to hand over the house as early as possible," added the minister.
Somaiya hoped that before the winter session of the parliament begins all the MPs would have government bungalows.
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