Cabinet alters category of land allotted to 14 political parties

The proposal to change the category from institutional to central government-to-government was approved by the cabinet on September 7, said an MoHUA official

New Delhi: The Union cabinet has approved a proposal to change the category of land allotted to political parties for their offices from institutional to central government-to-government, a decision that will benefit 14 political parties, including the BJP and the Congress that owe the Centre close to ₹100 crore to ₹150 crore, said a senior official in the Union housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) ministry.

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“The proposal to change the category from institutional to central government-to-government was approved by the cabinet on September 7,” said an Mohua official who asked not to be named.

The official said that these political parties were allotted land between 2000 and 2017 at pre-2000 land rates for institutional land. The allotment was done on the condition that the parties will have to pay the difference in land rates after it is revised, an exercise that was taken up in 2017, he added.

A second official who also spoke on condition of anonymity said, “There were representations received from various political parties regarding increase in land rates. With the cabinet approving the change in land category, the land rates will be reduced substantially, providing relief to these parties.”