Govt: Can’t turn bungalows into memorials

Syed Ali Ahmed

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 29

The government has banned converting government bungalows into memorials, said an official of the Ministry of Urban Development in a clarification issued after allotting bungalow number 10, Rajaji Marg, to Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma.

The ministry issued clarification after it was demanded that the bungalow (10, Rajaji Marg) in which former President APJ Abdul Kalam resided be converted into a memorial. The official said the Centre imposed a total ban on conversion of government bungalows into memorials on October 18, 2014.

He said the Supreme Court, in its judgement on July 5, 2013, in case of SD Bandi versus Divisional Traffic Officer, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and Others held that no government bungalow be converted into a memorial. Executive Assistant of Dr Kalam informed the ministry that his bungalow would be vacated by October 31, the official said.