NEW DELHI: Two major national political parties have continued occupying govt bungalows in Lutyens’ Delhi for their party offices, even years after building their own headquarters or getting land for the purpose, flouting norms.
Though the policy specifies that three years after getting land for office or completing construction, political parties must vacate bungalows, BJP and Congress occupy two bungalows each.
Sources said it was in 2018 when the directorate of estates under the housing and urban affairs ministry had sent notices to Congress to vacate four govt accommodations it had occupied. The party has so far vacated two such accommodations.
“The rule applies to all political parties. Now, BJP occupies two govt bungalows on Ashoka Road and Pandit Pant Marg, and Congress has two bungalows under its occupation on Akbar Road and Raisina Road. There is no indication of when these parties will vacate the bungalows. At present, around half a dozen bungalows are occupied by political parties,” a source said.
As per the policy for allotment of land to national political parties of 2012, parties that occupy bungalow(s) or suite(s) in the Vithalbhai Patel House for their office, should vacate them immediately on the construction of office building on the plot allotted to them or within three years from taking possession of the vacant plot.
The land and development office (L&DO), under the housing ministry, had allotted BJP two plots on the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg and the party inaugurated its office in Feb 2018. Nearly five years after that, BJP continues occupying bungalows at 11, Ashoka Road and 14, Pandit Pant Marg.
In the case of Congress, though the govt had allotted it land on Kotla Road, adjacent to the DDU Marg in 2010, it recently completed the construction of its office after getting several extensions. The new party headquarters will be inaugurated on Jan 15. Sources said Congress is unlikely to vacate the two bungalows, which house its national and youth wing offices, considering that BJP has also not done so.
In June 2022, in response to questions on enforcing parties to vacate bungalows, then housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri had told reporters, “It (evictions of political parties) is in process. It will involve all political parties. It’s in the pipeline.”
Officials said sending any fresh notice to political parties to vacate bungalows even after building a new office is a “sensitive” issue.