New Delhi: Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra has been instructed by the Directorate of Estates, the department responsible for managing the Central government’s official and residential properties, to vacate the government-allotted bungalow without delay. The bungalow was allocated to her when she was a Member of Parliament (MP). However, following her expulsion from the Lok Sabha last year due to the cash-for-query scandal, the government has requested her to vacate the luxurious property.
According to a source from the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, as reported by news agency PTI, Moitra has been directed to immediately vacate the house, and a team from the department will be dispatched to ensure that the property is vacated as soon as possible.
“The eviction notice was issued to Moitra on Tuesday, and now a team of officials from the directorate of estates will be sent to ensure that the government bungalow is vacated promptly,” stated the source to the news agency.
Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha on December 8 after the Ethics Panel found her guilty of sharing her parliamentary login credentials with businessman Darshan Hiranandani. Earlier, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had filed a complaint against Moitra, alleging that she accepted bribes in exchange for asking the businessman’s queries in the Lok Sabha. In her defense, Moitra denied accepting any bribes from the businessman and claimed that she shared her credentials solely for the purpose of having his staff type out her queries on the portal.
Following her expulsion, the Directorate of Estates issued a directive for her to vacate the bungalow by January 7. In response, she filed a petition with the Delhi High Court challenging the order.
On January 4, the Delhi High Court instructed the Trinamool leader to seek permission from the Directorate of Estates in order to continue occupying the government accommodation assigned to her. The court acknowledged that, according to regulations, authorities can permit a resident to stay beyond the allotted time for a maximum of six months. However, it emphasized that the final decision on her case lies with the DoE, after careful consideration.
This month, the Directorate of Estates has sent her two eviction notices.