Ex-MPs yet to vacate houses nearly a month after notice

Nearly a month after a Lok Sabha committee ordered all former Member of Parliaments (MPs) to vacate their bungalows, as many as 82 accommodations are yet to be vacated. As per sources, the Lok Sabha Housing Committee is in discussions to impose stiff penalties on the occupiers in order to force them to leave their accommodations.

The housing committee had issued an order on August 19 to as many as 200 former MPs to vacate their accommodations within a period of one week. Order had also been issued to disconnect electricity, water and cooking gas connections to the bungalows of these former legislators.

The order had been issued because many newly elected MPs had been putting up in temporary accommodations because of non-availability of accommodations. The 200 former MPs who had not vacated their accommodations as of August 19 had been elected to the Lok Sabha in the general elections of 2014.

"Though most MPs vacated their bungalows after the order issued in August, 82 among them are yet to move out. It is being contemplated to take action against these MPs under the Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants Act. Notices are being sent to them for vacating the premises as soon as possible," said an official.

As per rules, former MPs are given a maximum time of one month of dissolution of the Lok Sabha to vacate their government accommodations. The Lok Sabha formed after the general elections of 2014 had been dissolved by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind on May 25 this year. IANS