Government of India works from hotels!

An RTI reply has revealed that thirteen divisions and departments of various ministries are operating out of rented space in two posh Delhi hotels, costing the exchequer more than three crore rupees per month

India may live in its villages, but its government seems to reside in luxury hotels. An RTI reply has revealed that more than three crore rupees of the taxpayers' money is being spent every month by thirteen divisions and departments of various ministries operating out of Hotel Samrat and Hotel Janpath in New Delhi, because of 'space crunch'. These include agencies that work for the welfare of rural poor, women and children.

Office hours: Hotel Samrat at Chanakyapuri in New Delhi. Pic/Rajeev Tyagi

The Ministries and departments running from Hotel Samrat are Panchayati Raj ministry, Rural Development Ministry, Department of Economic Affairs, Financial Intelligence Unit, Department of Telecom, DG Vigilance, Department of customs and excise, Directorate of Systems and Authority for Advance Ruling (Customs).

A division of Rural Development Ministry, which is being run out of Hotel Samrat in Chanakyapuri since January 21, 2010, has occupied an office in room number 561 with area of 1800 square feet, at the rate of Rs 430 per sq ft as rent. This means the ministry is shelling out as Rs 7, 74,000 per month. The main office still remains at Krishi Bhawan.

MiD DAY called the office of the secretary at the Rural Development Ministry. "Yes we have a division operating from the Hotel Samrat but the minister and secretary sit at Krishi Bhawan," said the person who picked up the phone, but did not wish to be named. Sources said the division was shifted to the five-star as they are facing acute space crunch.

Similarly Panchayati Raj Ministry hired 5,500 sq ft of space on the sixth floor of Hotel Samrat in Chanakyapuri from India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) on August 30, 2006. The space originally came with the price tag of Rs 195 per sq ft as rent per month, for a period of two years commencing from September 1, 2006, to be extended further with an increase of 8 per cent after expiry of the tenure. After the period lapsed on August 30, 2008, the present rate of rent became Rs 210.60 per sq ft, from September 1, 2008. The total adds up to more than Rs 6.22 crore spent as rent so far. MiD DAY had first reported the matter on July 13, 2010.

This information came to light in reply to an RTI application filed by a Delhi-based activist JS Walia. The Sant Nagar resident said, "Once I went to Hotel Samrat and was stunned to see so many cars with red beacons. So I enquired and found that various ministries were operating from the hotel. But they refused to divulge too much information. We have a right to know where our hard-earned money is going so I filed an RTI to get more information. The reply was shocking. Is it necessary to rent an office at a five-star? I am sure there are cheaper office spaces in the Capital."

When MiD DAY spoke to Dr AS Sahota, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, he said: "We were supposed to shift to a designated place at LIC building but there was a little problem with the NDMC. We are in talks with them and most probably the entire thing will be sorted out soon. On inspecting the space we saw that there were some arrangements were still required to ensure smooth functioning and shifting of the office."

Similar is the case with the Ministry of Women and Child Development which has been functioning out of a conference hall on the 1st floor of Hotel Janpath since December 1, 1999. They have occupied 2742 square feet of area at the rate of Rs 400 per square feet amounting to a whopping Rs 10,96,800 as monthly rent.u00a0 There are three other government departments operating out of the same hotel - Directorate General of Export Promotion (Ministry of Finance), National Authority, Chemical Weapons Convention, Performance Management Division of Cabinet Secretariat, Planning Commission, Unique Identification authority of India.

When contacted, the official spokesperson of the Urban Development Ministry, responsible for allocating spaces for different government offices and ministries, said: "We have no idea about ministries and government agencies running out of posh hotels. Even if that is the case, we can't be held responsible for the same. So it won't be appropriate to comment on behalf of other government offices."

Prime realty
In 2008, a radical plan was proposed by the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) to drastically reduce the Lutyens' Bungalow Zone (LBZ) - where influential politicians and top bureaucrats live - by as much as 75%. The plan, going by the euphemism "densification" of LBZ, envisages cutting back bungalow land - at times going up to 8 acres - to a uniform 1 acre, and using the land released on the basis of new guidelines. LBZ, which should be rechristened "New Delhi Bungalow Area", should be limited to an area south of Rajpath. The commission also suggested a "conservation zone". However the plan came up against stiff opposition from the urban development ministry, which asked DUAC to give 'adequate justification' for such sweeping changes in this 'priority area'. Civic body told to seek opinion from NDMC and arts panel. Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna had directed the Delhi Development Authority to re-work the draft zonal plan for the Lutyens' Bungalow Zone (LBZ), in consultation with the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

Money mantra
Details found in the RTI reply:
Hotel Samrat
Departmentu00a0Area (Sq. ft)u00a0Rate (per sq ft.)u00a0Total
Authority for Advanceu00a06685.625u00a0458.76u00a030,67,097
Ruling Customsu00a0
Directorate of Systemsu00a014071u00a0457.96u00a064,43,982
Dept. of Customs &u00a06685.625u00a0457.96u00a030,61,749
Central Excise
DG (Vigilance)u00a014071u00a0457.96u00a064,43,955
Dept. of telecomu00a08904u00a0430u00a038,28,720
Financial Intelligence Unitu00a07127u00a0400u00a028,50,800
Panchyati Raj Ministryu00a05500u00a0254.76u00a014,01,180
Dept. of Economic Affairsu00a03433u00a0NAu00a0NA
Dept. of Rural u00a01800u00a0430u00a07, 74,000
Development

Hotel Janpath
Ministry of Women & u00a0
Child Developmentu00a02742u00a0400u00a010,96,800
(World Bank Project)
Directorate of Exportu00a0
Promotions u00a04800u00a0400u00a019,20,000
(Ministry of Finance)
National Authority,u00a0
Chemical Weaponsu00a09234.66u00a0425u00a039,24,730
Convention, Performance
Management Div.
(Cabinet Secretariat)
Planning Commission,u00a0
Unique Identification u00a01775u00a0425u00a07,54,375
Authority of India