Delhi Assembly Speaker Threatens Eviction Notices Over Office Space Crunch
Eviction Looms for Delhi Assembly Offices
Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta issued a stern warning on Thursday, threatening eviction notices for officials occupying office spaces within the Assembly premises if they fail to vacate them. The move follows complaints from MLAs, including Tarvinder Singh Marwah and Karnail Singh, about a severe shortage of office space for assembly committee meetings, with some threatening to hold meetings outside Gupta’s office if the issue persists.
Gupta highlighted the strain, noting that 25 committee chairmen are forced to share just 11 rooms, with three committees often cramped into a single space. He pointed out that the Pharmacy Council occupies eight rooms, and the Directorate of Education also holds significant space, despite repeated requests to vacate. “Bureaucrats are unwilling to leave, and I feel humiliated,” Gupta said, emphasizing that the Assembly should prioritize legislative work, not house administrative offices.
The Speaker revealed that he wrote to Chief Secretary Dharmendra on May 30, urging departments like the Directorate of Education, Delhi Pharmacy Council, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s publication division to vacate the premises. Gupta warned that issuing eviction notices, within his authority, would be an undesirable but necessary step if the situation doesn’t improve.
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Delhi Environment and Industries Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa apologized and promised swift action to address the issue. Leader of Opposition Atishi demanded a structured process for room allocation, equating an MLA’s protocol to that of the Chief Secretary and calling for action against non-compliant department heads.
The space crunch extends beyond the Assembly, with MLAs like BJP Chief Whip Abhay Verma raising concerns about the lack of constituency offices. Verma noted that an SOP for office allocation has been drafted and sent for cabinet approval to resolve longstanding issues, including unpaid rents for some offices spanning a decade.
