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Rent of government properties allotted to Congress not paid: RTI reply
Monthly rental charges have also not been paid for Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s 10, Janpath residence since October 2020, the RTI response added
The Congress party has not paid the monthly rent of two of its government allotted properties on Akbar Road and in Chanakyapuri since 2013, according to a government response to a right to information (RTI) application.
Monthly rental charges have also not been paid for Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s 10, Janpath residence since October 2020, the response added.
In reply to an RTI application filed by a resident of Mithapur in Gujarat, Surjit Patel, the directorate of estates (DoE) under the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) said the monthly rental for the government bungalow at 26, Akbar Road (a part of the Congress headquarters that also houses the women’s wing of the party and Seva Dal offices) is ₹12.69 lakh and the dues have not been paid since January 2013.
Similarly, the property at Chanakyapuri has dues pending since September 2013 and monthly charges are close to ₹5.07 lakh, it said.
The type-VIII bungalow at Akbar Road and residential accommodation at Chanakyapuri were allotted to the All India Congress Committee in 1994 and 1985, respectively.
According to a senior DoE official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, “The monthly rental charges of the two properties are high because of unauthorised occupation. When the occupants stay beyond the permitted limit, then monthly damages are calculated differently. The charge varies every month. The amount mentioned in the RTI is the rental charge for last month (January 2022). The total dues pending will be much more.”
DoE officials refused to provide information regarding the exact amount due against each property.
About 10, Janpath, the official said the bungalow is officially allotted to Sonia Gandhi as she is the spouse of late Rajiv Gandhi, former prime minister. The monthly rental for her type-VIII bungalow is ₹4,610, which has not been paid since October 2020, the official said.
In July 2020, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra vacated her Lodhi Estate bungalow after the DoE sent her an eviction notice.
According to the rules, political parties are given bungalows for office use. But once a party is allotted land for construction of an office, it has to vacate the bungalow within three years of taking possession of the land. The Congress party was allotted land on Rouse Avenue for construction of the party office in 2010.
The ministry did not comment on the matter.
The BJP took a dig at the Congress for not paying up.
“The days of dynasty rule are over. The Congress must pay for the government accommodation. Under our government at the Centre, those who are occupying government accommodation pay for it and vacate it when their term is over,” said BJP national spokesperson RP Singh.
A senior Congress functionary on condition of anonymity said, “The government has given us an extension to use the bungalows. Our new building is under construction. The work got delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We will vacate the bungalows once our building is ready. The matter is being raised due to the ongoing elections.”
