The AAP Government has notified the policy ‘for allotment of land to State-level political parties in Delhi for their office building’ on Friday after approving the proposal in the Cabinet.
For political party having total strength between seven and 30, would be eligible for 300 square meter plot/land while party having strength between 31 and 50 in Delhi Assembly would be eligible for 500 square meter of land.
The political party having strength over 51 and above would be eligible for 1000 square meter of land. This means, AAP which has 67 MlAs in the Delhi Assembly is eligible for 1,000 square meter of land for office building in the national Capital.
“The land allotted to political parties may comprise of one or more plots. The building constructed on the allotted land shall be utilised by the political parties for their national level political units as well as other wings/organisations of the parties. These premises shall be utilised for office purpose only. Subletting of the plot shall be governed by the instructions issued in this regard for institutional plots. As per guidelines, the guidelines approved by the UD Ministry and the Election Commission of India (ECI) would be applicable for allotment of land for construction of office building.
“In case a political party has been allotted land earlier, fresh allotment of land in accordance with the above norms should be considered after deducting the quantum of land already allotted. When a political party ceases to exist, the land should be resumed. However, whenever a political party is divided, the leased land shall pass on the factions of the party determined as successors by the court of law /the election commission,” the guidelines said.
Surprisingly, allotting land is out of the purview of the City Government, said officers, adding that the Government is trying to implement the policy as it does not have land for its own office.
All told, two major political parties - Congress and BJP - have huge office space and building for its Pradesh offices on a prime location in the national Capital. The Delhi Congress has five-storey building office at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg. The Delhi BJP has huge campus and office building at Pandit Pant Marg.
But the two parties are politically insignificant in the State Assembly as Congress has been reduced to zero while the BJP has only three members in the House. Contrary to this, the AAP has a majority of 67 MlAs in the House and this makes the party leadership highly ambitious to own a prime plot in the national Capital in the lines of the Congress and the BJP, according to sources.
The AAP party office at Patel Nagar is on rent. Currently, the AAP has four MPs and so it has been allotted one double-suite accommodation in Vithalbhai Patel House.
It would be interesting to mention that the UD Ministry has allotted land to 10 political parties, the maximum quantum of land to the Congress and the BJP. While the Congress got 8,093 sq m land in 2010 on Kotla Road, the BJP got 8,095 sq m land at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Road last year.