By IANS,
New Delhi : The urban development ministry has withdrawn a notice for recovery of nearly Rs.2 crore rent dues from Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar for use of a government bungalow on Krishna Menon Marg.
The Central Information Commission (CIC) Tuesday directed the urban development ministry to disclose information related to allotment, occupation and use of a government bungalow by the family members of the late Indrani Devi, including her daughter and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, in public domain. Indrani Devi was the widow of Jagjivan Ram, who served for long as a central minister and was a leader of the backward classes.
The CIC has also given two months time to the ministry to put all information related to the bungalow.
The commission gave the direction to the ministry after hearing an appeal filed by Right to Information (RTI) activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal.
“For the sake of transparency, it is extremely important that all the information relating to the allotment, occupation and use of this bungalow should be brought out in the public domain,” the CIC said.
As per the RTI application, filed by Agrawal in November 2011, a bill of Rs.1,98,22,723 was found to be due as pending rent from Meira Kumar for occupation of the premises.
“However, subsequently a clarification from Meira Kumar, Speaker, stated that she had vacated 6, Krishna Menon Marg on Nov 28, 2002, a decision has been taken by the Ministry to treat this as the date of vacation and as per orders the recovery notice was withdrawn,” the Directorate of Estates said in a recent response to Agarwal’s RTI query.
Earlier, replying to an RTI application on November 2011, the Directorate of Estates had given a list of 10 people including “family members of late Indrani Devi i.e. Smt Meira Kumar” and the dues pending against them for occupation of government bungalows.
The list had shown Kumar has a pending rent of Rs.1.98 crore for which a bill has been issued, it said.
When IANS contacted the Speaker’s office an official pleading anonymity said,”The family members of Late Smt Indrani Devi, vacated 6, Krishna Menon Marg, New Delhi by 30.11.2002, and intimation in this regard was given to New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and Director of Estates and other concerned authorities.”