MPs want Games Village flat quota

New Delhi, Dec. 12: The corruption scandals surrounding the Commonwealth Games may have been a blot on India's political class, but that has not stopped them from asking for a share in the Games Village flats.
Samajwadi Lok Sabha member Shailender Kumar today demanded an MPs' quota in the allotment of the 715 unsold Games flats, the cheapest of which would fetch at least Rs 1 crore in the market. The other House members supported him in unison.
All the flats were to be auctioned off to the public but the Delhi Development Authority has already amended the rules to accommodate a few government institutions and public sector units.
"Many MPs have expressed the desire to buy the flats at the Commonwealth Games Village. It will be good if the government could fix a certain quota for the MPs," Kumar said during the afternoon session.
He did not suggest a concession on the price but a quota for MPs would be likely to offer one.
The Lok Sabha MPs, however, are not the first lawmakers to eye these flats, built on the Yamuna's banks in the east Delhi locality of Mayur Vihar and close to a Metro station and a flyover.
Delhi MLAs too had raised a similar demand in April, asking that the flats be given to them at a concession or on a soft loan.
In reply to Kumar's demand, urban development minister Kamal Nath said there was no such scheme for MPs at the moment. "But if we get a proposal from the respected Speaker of the Lok Sabha, we can think about it."
Nath, however, added that the flats might not be given free of cost to the MPs. "We will have to first carry out an open auction of limited flats to determine the market price."
Delhi Development Authority (DDA) vice-chairperson G.S. Patnaik said the agency would have to amend the rules "in case we have to allot (some of) the flats to MPs and MLAs".
Emaar-MGF and the DDA had jointly built the Games Village. Emaar owned 453 of the flats, while the remaining 715 belonged to the DDA. The flats owned by Emaar had been sold even before the Games concluded on October 14 last year. But 14 months on, the buyers have not been able to take possession because the DDA has not issued a completion certificate.
The problem is that the builder apparently violated the rule on the floor-area ratio and built about 17 extra flats. The case is being heard in the high court.
This is atrocious.
I lack words to describe the shamelessness of these MPs.
In spite of being in the eye of the storm for which Anna is fighting his battle against corruption, they still want more benefits at the expense of the taxpayer.

My opinion is that they already have sufficient benefits during the tenure of parliament for which they are elected. If they want anything extra, they should pay for it at the market rate.
I suggest we all write to the media and the MPs to stop this loot.