29 allotments of AIS officers cancelled under Nerkundram housing scheme

Allotees abused govt discretionary quota to avail TNHB houses in violation of norms

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Twenty-nine allotments of All India Service Officers have been cancelled under the Rs 445 crore Nerkundram housing scheme for government servants for already availing government discretionary quota (GDQ) allotment in the expanded Chennai.

The list includes 14 Indian Administrative Service officers of Tamil Nadu cadre and 15 Indian Police Service Officers.

Besides the cancellation of 29 allotments, TNHB sources revealed 17 allotments have been voluntarily surrendered by the All India Service Officers.

The cancellation of 29 allotments comes in the wake of All India Service officers availing government discretionary quota for the second or third time under the ‘Own Your House’ Nerkundram Housing Scheme, which came into being during the DMK regime.

Interestingly, Tamil Nadu Housing Board sources revealed that 10 All India Service officials have not furnished the government discretionary quota till the first week of June.

The project, which got the approval of the TNHB under the GO 56 issued on February 28, 2011, just a day prior to the Assembly elections, is mired in controversy after it was found out that of the nearly 450 allottees of All India Services, many had availed houses under the discretionary quota earlier.

Interestingly, the scheme, which also highlights GO 79, fails to take the gist of the order, which clearly states that any applicant who owns a house or plot is not eligible under the government discretionary quota. This is backed by an RTI reply to a query by an activist V Gopalakrishnan that the GO has not been amended.

TNHB sources also denied that the cost of the flats is less than 50 per cent of the market price.  “In fact, the tentative cost fixed already is likely to be raised more than 25 per cent and the same has been proposed to be placed before the board meeting for taking decision.  The final cost will be determined after the completion of the scheme,” the source added.