BHUBANESWAR: Works minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Sunday said eviction of unauthorised and illegal occupants of government quarters will be initiated soon.
Issuing a warning to government employees who have rented out their official quarters and those who have occupied the houses in an unauthorised manner, the minister said, the General Administration department is preparing a list of such persons.
“Strict action will be taken against those who have rented out their government quarters. Those who are living in government quarters on rent are equally guilty and will face more severe action,” said Harichandan.
In some cases, the government quarters have been allotted to persons or organisations who are not entitled for the same while in others, the occupants have kept the quarters for a long time after their retirement.
Harichandan, who is also the minister of Law, said in some places government quarters have outlived their utility and are in dilapidated condition. As these buildings are not safe, the GA department is not allotting them. But, some people have taken advantage of the situation and forcefully occupied them, he observed.
The minister said the government is planning to demolish the buildings which have been declared unsafe and beyond repair. “Such places will make way for high-rises to accommodate more employees waiting for government accommodation, and with better facilities,” he said.
In September this year, a senior official of the Panchayatiraj department, Ramesh Chandra Jena, was found to have rented out his quarter in Unit-II area on a monthly rent of Rs 12,000. The matter came to light during a Vigilance search on him for amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Meanwhile, even after more than five months of the dissolution of the 16th Assembly, many former legislators who have lost the election have not vacated their official quarters forcing the GA department to issue eviction notices under the Odisha Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act.
On the other hand, several ministers of the BJP government are still staying in the state quest house due to shortage of quarters.