The Haryana Vidhan Sabha has put 15 Haryana MLAs on notice for defaulting on the payment of room rent of the MLAs’ hostel, located in Sector 3 in Chandigarh.
The MLAs to whom the notices have been issued are from Congress, Jannayak Janata Party and Bharatiya Janata Party.
Sources in the Vidhan Sabha said that notices have been issued to MLAs for the recovering of the dues of room rent of the MLAs’ hostel without delay.
Assembly Speaker Gyan Chand Gupta along with officials visited the MLAs’ hostel to see the system there. After this, information was collected and 15 MLAs have been asked to deposit the amount without delay.
Sources said that Speaker received complaints from MLAs that on many occasions, rooms in the MLAs’ hostel were not available for them. In some cases, MLAs book rooms in MLAs’ hostel in their own name and keep the key with them. Instead of MLAs, their relatives or workers stay in these rooms.
Recently a drug peddler was arrested with heroin by the Haryana Police and in course of interrogation it was revealed that he stayed in MLA’s hostel a few days ago.
The Haryana Assembly Speaker has taken a serious view of legislators and their acquaintances not making timely payment for their stay at the hostel.
Talking to The Pioneer, Gupta on Monday said that he served notice to 15 MLAs for not depositing the dues of MLA Hostel rooms.
The notices has been issued to make immediate payment of the pending room rent, besides vacating the rooms in case they were still being occupied by any persons.
The Speaker said that he had received several complaints regarding this. "It has been reported that recently that a drug peddler stayed in MLA’s hostel few days ago. Along with officials, I inspected the hostels. Later I convened a meeting with the officers and reviewed MLAs’ facilities, their security and rule and regulations," the Speaker said.
Gupta said, “Now onwards whoever will stay in the rooms of MLAs’ hostel, will have to give their ID proof. This rule will not be applied on elected legislators.”
In the meeting it was informed that around 15 legislators have secured room in MLA hostel but are yet to pay the rent. CCTV cameras which were installed there have been found functional. The officials have been asked to strictly follow rules and regulations.
Room’s rent should be displayed appropriately at important places within the campus.
They have been directed to ensure that no anti-social elements stay in hostels. “Now we have asked the officials to ensure that all the visitors submit their identity card to the MLA Hostel office,” Gupta added.
In the meeting it was also revealed that certain relatives and acquaintances of the legislators had stayed in the MLAs’ hostel for long periods of time and had failed to make timely payment for their stay.
Gupta said, “The MLAs staying in the hostel are charged Rs 50 per day while their relatives are charged Rs 200 per day. Similarly, any other person staying in the hostel, which has to be booked in the name of the MLA, is charged Rs 600 per day.”
According to sources, the outstanding amount on a minister in the JJP-BJP government is more than Rs one lakh rupees. The legislators have not yet responded after the notice. In this case, the speaker said that the legislators have been notice and asked them to reply without delay.