Ex-netas under HC scanner

The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the government to explain the provisions under which former central ministers and parliamentarians were allotted government accommodation in the Lutyen’s zone of the capital without ensuring recovery of dues like rent, power and telephone bills.

Taking note of arrears running into millions of rupees against former lawmakers, a division bench comprising Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice HR Malhotra directed the government counsel to file an affidavit on the provisions for allotment of quarters and methods used to recover arrears.

Adjourning the matter till April 24, the bench asked counsel to state the amount recovered in last one year from the defaulters.

The court’s directions followed a public interest litigation (PIL), filed by the Krushak Bharti, a voluntary organsiation, seeking direction to NDMC, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) and India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) to recover the dues from the defaulting members of parliament and ministers who had been avoiding clearing their bills for no valid reasons.

Counsel for NDMC, Anjana Gusai told the bench that the civic body had so far been able to recover a paltry amount of Rs. 400,000.

Earlier, Gusai had said when NDMC disconnected power connections to the defaulting MPs and ministers, it used to get phone calls from the authorities for their restoration.