VIPs cannot sit on prime realty

The new law will see people vacate official premises on time

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Since it assumed power in May 2014, the NDA has evicted about 1,500 officials and MPs. It is a departure from earlier governments that chose to ignore the transgressions of VIPs holding on to prime real estate in Lutyens’ Delhi. The amended eviction law will hopefully end the problem once and for all. These VIPs occupy valuable real estate for years on end, many of them trying to convert the premises into memorials and using every trick in the book to hang on. Around the world, in most democracies, the concept of official accommodation, except for the president or prime minister, is unheard of. In India, on the other hand, not only do politicians and bureaucrats take this perk for granted, they also shamelessly squat on official accommodation long after eviction notices are served.