Among the beneficiaries of the decision of the UPA government just before the elections, is the former Union Minister Buta Singh who has been allowed to retain his government accommodation on a heavily subsidised rent. In December 2013, Mr. Singh wrote to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking his intervention to instruct the Urban Development Ministry to lower the rent from the revised amount as per the market value.
After the Directorate of Estates revised the rent for Mr. Singh’s 11A Teen Murti Marg residence from Rs. 58,500 to Rs. 1,06,603 from January 2014, Mr. Singh, who has Z+ security, wrote to Dr. Singh to help him get a rent-waiver.
According to the information disclosed on the RTI plea filed by activist Subhash Agarwal, the former minister Sis Ram Ola’s family has been allowed to retain the Teen Murti Lane bungalow beyond the permissible period, while in the case of the late Karunakaran the CCA has given “part” approval to allow the family to stay.
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Manipur Governor V.K. Duggal has two government houses in his name. He has been allotted flat number C II/131 in Chankyapuri in his capacity as the Governor of Manipur and a bungalow (Type VIII) on Uma Shankar Dikshit Marg in his capacity as Member, National Disaster Management Authority.
The Urban Development Ministry has clarified that Mr. Duggal was allotted the Chanakyapuri bungalow after his other allotment on Uma Shankar Dikshit Marg was cancelled. Amar Singh, former chairman and managing director of the Food Corporation of India, has also been allowed to retain his accommodation beyond the permissible period.