Type VI bungalow for Harsimrat Badal

Aditi Tandon

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New Delhi, August 31

Bathinda MP Harsimrat Badal would soon be vacating the ministerial bungalow she and her husband, Sukhbir Badal, have been occupying since 1998 when it was first allotted to the latter in his capacity as an MP and minister.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in a letter to Harsimrat this May, notified that she was being allotted another general pool type VI bungalow in Lodi Estate in lieu of 12 Safdarjung Road type VIII bungalow she had been previously occupying as the Union Minister. She relinquished the ministerial charge in 2020 after she resigned from the ruling NDA over the controversial farm laws.

Sources said Harsimrat had been handed over the technical possession of the Lodi Estate house yesterday with the bungalow currently under repair. Once it’s ready, the MP would be vacating 12 Safdarjung Road residence, where her family has now lived for nearly 25 years. Erstwhile NDA and UPA governments had allotted the Badals this house on security grounds.

The reallotment to Harsimrat is part of government’s ongoing task of vacating ministerial bungalows after the expiry of ministers’ terms or their demise. Previously the government had initiated eviction proceedings for 12 Janpath Road, occupied by late minister Ram Vilas Paswan’s family. The bungalow was subsequently allotted to ex-President Ram Nath Kovind.

The bungalow, 76, Lodi Estate allotted to Harsimrat was previously occupied by Congress’ Rajya Sabha ex-MP from Assam Ranee Narah, whose term ended recently. Narah was served an eviction notice following which the bungalow’s technical possession was given to Harsimrat.