Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Speaker’s outstanding rent bill: Whopping Rs 2 crore

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, who has refused to vacate the Government bungalow of which she lost entitlement 25 years back, owes around `2 crore to the exchequer as outstanding rent.

An RTI reply shows that Meira Kumar owes `1.98 crore to the Estates Department of the Urban Development Ministry for occupation of 6, Krishna Menon Marg since 1986 after the demise of her father late Jagjivan Ram.

The statement of dues against MP/Ex-MPs who are in un-authorised occupation of Government accommodations states a “rent-bill” of `1,9,822,723 having been issued towards Government bungalow number 6 at Krishna Menon Marg (New Delhi) to Meira Kumar in her capacity as a family member of late Indrani Devi.

The Department of Estates, in an RTI reply to activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal, has given a list of 10 such persons who have rent dues pending against them for occupying Government premises even after losing entitlement.

When contacted for comments, the Speaker’s office told PTI, “The family members of late Indrani Devi, vacated 6, Krishna Menon Marg, New Delhi by 30 November 2002, and intimation in this regard was given to CPWD, NDMC, Director of Estates and other concerned authorities.

“NDMC disconnected water and electricity supply immediately. None of the family members of late Indrani Devi have, thereafter, been in the occupation of said premises,” it said.

The controversial bungalow was allotted to Kumar when she was a Union Minister in 2004. It was the residence of senior Congress leader Babu Jagjivan Ram till his death in 1986. She was allotted bungalow number 20, Akbar Road after she became the Speaker but despite that she refused to vacate the bungalow on Krishna Menon Marg.

Significantly, there is a sign-board ‘Babu Jagjiwanram Memorial’ and a statue of late Babu Jagjiwanram termed ‘unauthorized’ by the Ministry at the said bungalow.

The reply which is based on records of September 16, 2011 says other people with pending dues include artist Pratibha Pande (`43.63 lakh), Chief Executive Officer of Price Stabilisation Fund Trust, Pravir Kumar (`2.61 lakh), former Chief Information Commissioner A N Tiwari (`4.71 lakh), former Lok Sabha MP Mrityunjaya Nayak (` 3.21 lakh), former Member of National Commission for Backward Classes Abdul Ali Azizi (`1.97 lakh) and Amitabh Bhattacharya (`2.04 lakh).

Two other persons mentioned in the list, senior Congress leader Buta Singh and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Chairman JS Sarma, however, have “Nil” dues against them according to the RTI reply.


Financial etiquette is not one of the strong points of the Jagjivan Ram family.
Jagjivan Babu was also once accused of tax evasion.
On being asked why he had not paid his tax he simply replied "I forgot". This is when he was a minister in Indira Gandhi's cabinet. Thanks to him, many other defaulters in that year escaped paying penalties.
So, his daughter, not vacating her bungalow comes at no surprise.
An she and her children must still be getting reservation under the SC/ST quota after owing over 2 crores to the government.

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