Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: Sixteen legislators including Deputy Speaker Sananda Marndi, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Narasingha Mishra and four ministers have occupied more than one government house in the capital city. There are former ministers and MLAs who have been in unauthorised occupation of government houses in the capital.
This was informed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to the house Monday. The CM, in a written reply to a question of BJP MLA Dillip Ray, said assembly secretary has been intimated to request the MLAs and ministers to vacate the additional quarters immediately.
Deputy Speaker Sananda Marndi, who was allotted a government quarter at Unit III from Orissa Legislative Assembly (OLA) pool in December 2004, took another government quarter at Unit IV from General Administration (GA) pool.
Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra has two government quarters under his possession – one at Unit IV from OLA pool since December 2014 and another at Unit I from GA pool since July 2014.
Culture and tourism minister Ashok Panda, who was recently in the news for purchasing multiple quarters under various government housing schemes, has occupied two government quarters from GA and OLA pool at Unit –I and Unit –IV here.
That apart, parliamentary affairs minister Bikram Keshari Arukh, MSME minister Jogendra Behera and higher education minister Pradeep Panigrahi have occupied two government quarters each.
BJD chief whip Ananta Das and Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati have also occupied two quarters each.
Legislators such as Bhujabal Majhi (Cong), Maheswar Mohanty (BJD), Nrusingha Charan Sahoo (BJD), Prafulla Majhi (Cong), Subrat Tarai (BJD), Subal Sahu (Cong), Rabi Narayan Naik (BJP) and Ramesh Patua (BJD) are in occupation of more than one government house in the capital.
The Chief Minister also revealed three ex-ministers such as Surendranath Nayak, Sarojini Hembram and Anjali Behera are in ‘unauthorised occupation’ of GA quarters till date and former minister Pradip Nayak has also unauthorisedly occupied a government quarter from OLA quota.
The ‘unauthorised’ list also includes names of former MLAs Alekha Kumar Jena, Rama Chandra Hansda, Rabi Mallick, Rajendra Dholkia and Pratap Chandra Sarangi. OPP (E) cases have been initiated against these leaders, the CM said.
Sanatan Mahakuda (Ind), Chandra Sarathi Behera (BJD), Chiranjib Biswal (Cong), Purna Chandra Nayak (BJD) and Rajendra Kumar Sahoo (BJD) have not been allotted government quarters while MLA Nitesh Gangdeb (BJP), though allotted a house in November 2015, has not yet taken possession of it due to non-vacation by the previous occupant. Saroj Kumar Samal (BJD) is also yet to take possession of his quarter.
The Chief Minster said out of 11,476 quarters available under GA department, a whopping 272 are in unauthorised occupation.
