The Rashtriya Janata Dal has taken a dig at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for having three sprawling official bungalows — two in Patna and one in Delhi — wondering “when will vikas (development) come out of Mr. Kumar’s bungalow”. Over 150 legislators in the State do not have official houses as construction work on MLA flats has been on for years.
Mr. Kumar’s official address in Patna is 1, Anne Marg. Across the road is another house on 7, Circular Road which was allotted to him as former Chief Minister. Recently, he was allotted a top-bracket bungalow at 6, K Kamraj Lane in Lutyen’s Delhi. JD(U) leaders said he was allotted the bungalow as Chief Ministers of other States also have been allotted houses in Delhi. The RJD leaders wonder “hasn’t Mr. Kumar been CM for over 12 years? ... why does he need the bungalow now?”
Opposition leader Tejaswi Yadav said: “Nitish Kumar spends most of his time in Delhi and is not interested in development work in Bihar.”
In May 2014, Nitish Kumar, owning moral responsibility for the party’s poor performance in the parliamentary election, handed over power to Jitan Ram Manjhi and moved to the 7, Circular Road bungalow. On June 3, the Manjhi Cabinet approved a proposal of the Cabinet secretariat to provide two personal secretaries, two lower division clerks and four peons as Mr. Kumar’s personal staff for the next five years. Mr. Kumar was also provided a bulletproof car, armed escort and pilot vehicles. In February 2015, Mr. Kumar became the Chief Minister again. He moved to the designated CM’s bungalow at Anne Marg. But he did not vacate the Circular Road bungalow.
In June 2016, Sushil Kumar Modi, who was in the Opposition then, accused Mr. Kumar of “misusing” over ` ₹5.02 crore on the maintenance of his bungalow at Circular Road. In a letter to Mr. Kumar, Mr. Modi asked why and how the Chief Minister could be allotted two bungalows. “When former CMs Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi can live in one bungalow with their two Minister sons, why do you need two houses? …you’ve have been chosen CM for five years and it would be the duty of the next government to allot a house to a former CM. Allotting yourself two houses during your tenure as CM shows you are short on confidence about getting a bungalow of your choice once you demit office”, Mr. Modi said in the letter.
However, in July 2016, Mr. Kumar dumped the RJD to join hands with the BJP and formed the NDA government in Bihar once again. The State BJP leaders kept mum on the issue. “I don’t have anything to comment. I’m not even aware whether he has been allotted a bungalow in Delhi”, said a senior BJP leader. An MLA who is living in a rented house — the State government provides ₹28,000 a month to a legislator living on rent — pointed out: “The Supreme Court passed an order on August 1, 2016 banning the allotment of official bungalows to former Chief Ministers for life”.
