Title: Jagmohan weeds
out 'rootless politicians'
Author: Harish Gupta
Publication: The Indian
Express
Date: April 15, 2000
After taking on the builder-bureaucrat
mafia thriving in posh Delhi colonies and sending eviction squads after
politicians overstaying in government bungalows, Union Urban Affairs Minister
Jagmohan is now trying to rid Sapru House of what he calls 'rootless politicians'.
He has also told all
political parties, including the BJP, to surrender all the government bungalows
they are holding on to, except one for the party's office, before June
1.
A surprise check at Sapru
House, which is located on prime property, apparently, revealed that the
building was illegally occupied by the Indian Council of World Affairs
(ICWA). The Council had no locus standi except a stay against the building's
takeover by the Government. But it was found that the occupants owed crores
of rupees to the Urban Affairs Ministry and the latter had not acted to
recover the amount.
A note put up by Jagmohan
said, "Harcharan Singh Josh, who has manipulated to stay as president (of
the ICWA) for the past 16 years, (has) managed the records and affairs
of the ICWA so that most of the executive members are not even aware of
what he is doing in its name. He is liable for civil and criminal action
and he owes Rs 10 crore to the Government."
Headed for Paris as a
minister-in-waiting to the President during his visit to France, Jagmohan
is now set to hand over a series of cases to the CBI against 'corrupt'
CPWD, DDA, MCD and government officials.
The massive operation
that has been on for the past few days has jolted almost all political
parties. The Congress will have to surrender 14 prime buildings which it
occupies while the BJP will have to forego 13.
Jagmohan has also gone
after bureaucrats and others who sub-let their official accommodation,
either in full or part. Some of the bureaucrats at Pandara Road were found
to have even sub-let garages. During one surprise search, Jagmohan was
shocked to discover that a regular liquor selling business was being carried
out from one such garage.
In another case, it was
found that Rs 20,000 had been taken as pagri and a monthly rent of Rs 4,200
was being charged.
In all, it was found
that 77 official houses given to bureaucrats and others on Pandara Road
and Aram Bagh were being misused and the allotment is being cancelled in
all such cases.
Jagmohan has recommended
stringent measures against erring government servants living in these posh
colonies. He wants that departmental action be initiated against all of
them under the conduct rules and ordered that a vigilance inquiry be conducted
against the field staff for not detecting the misuse prior to the receipt
of the complaint.
In addition to charging
them for their unauthorised stay, Jagmohan has made 240 top politicians
vacate houses they were occupying illegally. When 77 of the politicians
did not respond to the notices, he sent eviction squads to throw them out.
Among the 77 were former
Haryana chief minister Bhajan Lal who refused to vacate a palatial bungalow
opposite 10 Janpath and official spokesperson of the Congress Ajit Jogi
who was thrown out of a Shahjahan Road duplex flat. Later, Jogi moved into
the house allotted to M K Suba, another party MP, on Talkatora Road. Sonia
loyalist P J Kurien, who lost his Lok Sabha seat, was the next to face
the squad.
Jagmohan did not spare
his own party colleague and former cricketer Chetan Chauhan either. N Bhaskara
Roa, Akbar Dumpy Ahmed, Taslimuddin and Omak Apang were among those who
faced the eviction squad.
While Sonia need not
worry as she has become an MP, Kushabhau Thakre will require a special
favour from the government to stay at AB-19, Tilak Marg, as he is not an
MP.
Congress will be able
to retain 24, Akbar Road and the BJP 11, Ashok Road for their offices.
23 other premises they have been squatting on for years will have to be
vacated.
