Activists demand strict action and instant eviction
Mumbai : RTI activists have revealed that only 19 out of 41 ministers in the erstwhile Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra have vacated their official bungalows so far, whereas names of NCP stalwart Ajit Pawar and senior Congress leader Narayan Rane figure in the list of squatters. The activists are demanding strict action against the errant former ministers.
As per information received by activist Anil Galgali from the state government, former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and his then colleagues Chhagan Bhujbal, Narayan Rane, Jayant Patil, Harshvardhan Patil and Patangrao Kadam are among 22 ministers who are yet to vacate their official residences in South Mumbai’s prime locations of Malabar Hill and Nariman Point.
Others on the list include Jitendra Awhad, Sunil Tatkare, Rajesh Tope, Anil Deshmukh, Manohar Naik, Dilip Sopal, Bhaskar Jadhav and MSRDC’s ex-chairman Jaydatt Kshirsagar. Seven Congress ministers who have overstayed include Naseem Khan, Balasaheb Thorat , Abdul Sattar Abdul Nabi, Satej Patil and D P Sawant.
While the Chavan cabinet had a total of 42 ministers, Amit Deshmukh, son of former CM Vilasrao, never moved into an official bungalow after he was sworn in five months ago.
Several of these former ministers already own plush apartments in prime locations of Mumbai at highly subsided rates under various preferential allotment schemes of the state government.
Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had personally requested Fadnavis for a few more days to vacate “Varsha” which was obliged. But, he is learnt to have vacated the bungalow and the new CM is expected to move in there sometime next week.
Interestingly, among those ministers who are yet to vacate their bungalows also include Uday Samant, Sanjay Savkare, Sanjay Deotale and Vijaykumar Gavit who had fought recent Assembly polls on Shiv Sena-BJP tickets.
While Samant won from Ratnagiri on Shiv Sena ticket, rest won as BJP candidates. Deotale lost at the hustings. When contacted, ex-Congress minister of state, D P Sawant said that he has sought an extension of one month to vacate the official premises as he could not vacate it due to “certain difficulties”.
“I will pay the rent as per government rules,” he said.
The rule says, a minister has to vacate his official residence within 15 days of losing the post. For a first extension of three months, a rent of Rs 25 per sq ft is charged and of Rs 50 per sq ft for another three months as per rules.
RTI activist Galgali was instrumental in government raising the rent for those staying beyond their stipulated period from a measly Rs 5 per day per sq ft until recently to Rs 25 daily per square footage rate.
