Ambika Soni, Kumari Selja dig in heels, won’t vacate bungalows

NEW DELHI: Former Union ministers and Rajya Sabha MPs from Congress Ambika Soni and Kumari Selja have slapped privilege notices on the urban development ministry for asking them to vacate their official bungalows.
The UD ministry had served them eviction notice on the ground that they were not entitled to the ministerial bungalows. However, both MPs have contested the claim and have dubbed the notice as a breach of their privilege as parliamentarians.The UD ministry has been intimated by the Upper House. “The two have given privilege notices to the urban development ministry in response to its eviction notice served on them for vacating their Type-VIII bungalows,” said an official.
Soni and Selja are staying in 22, Akbar Road and 7, Motilal Nehru Road respectively, which were allotted to them when they were ministers in the previous UPA government. UD ministry claimed that they were entitled to accommodation meant for MPs as per their seniority but not the ministerial bungalows.
However, the MPs have contested the claim. Sources said Selja was allotted the house as a minister from Lok Sabha, but once she was elected to Rajya Sabha last year, the Type-VIII bungalow was allotted to her afresh by the Upper House. Sources said the bungalow was transferred from the central pool to Rajya Sabha pool specifically for her and was to revert to general pool after her term ended.
“We are preparing a reply in response to the privilege notice,” the UD ministry official said, adding that these bungalows were required for ministers.
Four ministers, including Cabinet ranked Virendra Singh and ministers of state Mohan Kumderia, Giriraj Singh and Ram Shankar Katheria, are yet to be given ministerial bungalows.
Meanwhile, all MPs staying in government-owned Ashoka Hotel have vacated it. “Dushyant Chautala of INLD was the last to vacate the hotel,” the official said. At one point, 120 newly-elected MPs were staying at Ashoka Hotel.