In a first, NDMC doctors, teachers told to vacate quarters amid COVID-19 over irregularities

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has asked 64 officials, including the Horticulture Director, doctors and teachers, to vacate their official quarters within 30 days after finding irregularities in the allotments.

The action came on a complaint forwarded by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

According to the NDMC sources privy to the development, this is the first time the council has cancelled allotments made to a number of senior officials.

Apart from the Horticulture Director, they include executive engineers, teachers, two contractual doctors, including a member of district surveillance committee on Covid-19, among others.

The NDMC had received two complaints from the ministry in 2016 and 2017 regarding irregularities in allotment of municipal accommodation on out-of-turn basis and a report was sought from the civic body.

Following this, two committees were constituted - one to enquire into the allotment through out-of-turn basis, and the other on complaint regarding sub-letting of municipal accommodation by officials.

NDMC accepted the recommendations of both the committees and initiated disciplinary action against the officials responsible. As many as 53 employees were again asked to apply on seniority basis to avail the quarters.

"Employees were unable to retain their quarters on a seniority basis or did not apply, hence, competent authority approved cancellation of municipal quarters by order dated July 7, 2020," the section officer of NDMC's Municipal Housing Department said, in an order dated July 16.

In the same way, the NDMC cancelled the accommodation allotted in the names of two doctors. "With the approval of the Chairman dated July 7, 2020, it has been decided that contractual doctors are not eligible for the accommodation and their allotment were already found illegal by the committee," the order added.

Similarly, all nine officials of the Navyug School Educational Society (NSES) have been asked to vacate the accommodation within 30 days after the NDMC's committee found the irregularities in the allotment.

"You are therefore, directed to vacate the above said flat within thirty days of issuing this office order, failing which action will be initiated against you and the market rent or damage charges will be charged from the date of cancellation as well as action for eviction and recovery will be initiated," it added.

"The allotment was cancelled after various officials availed the quarters on out-of-turn basis through recommendation or strong backup. Two doctors were not eligible for the accommodation as they were contractual. Even NSES employees were not eligible as per the policy," an official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told IANS.

However, NDMC Karamchari Sangh President, Sudhakar Kumar, shot a letter to the NDMC Secretary seeking revocation of order passed by the council, on humanitarian grounds.

He averred that due process was not followed by the officials of the Municipal Housing as all the cases were supposed to be put up before the out-of-turn committee.

"In the past, a judgment was also passed by the High Court in the same matter... that disciplinary proceedings should be taken against the officials who are involved in this matter and relief should be given to the beneficiaries (allottee) as they have no fault," he said.