Various Housing Colonies and complexes were constructed by the Public Works Department in the past to accommodate the Government Employees in the localities.
By paying some relevant money from their basic salaries the Government employees are entitled for a Government accommodation. This system was established to provide the Government employees living space in towns where they work and also to help them avoid costly private accommodation. However, the Government and the nodal agencies of these quarters have failed to check whether the Government quarters are being used by the same employees or have been sublet to others.
Shocking details have emerged on how hundreds of Government Employees from Class A and Class B categories have rented out their quarters to private individuals in the past.
There are several needy and poor Government employees who have been waiting for years together to get a Government accommodation. Surprisingly the reality is completely different to what the situation is.
The government employees, who had been allotted these quarters in the past, have now moved out from these buildings and have constructed their own houses after buying their own land. However, they have rented their quarters to other individuals who are not government employees.
Surprisingly these government employees reportedly collect high rents from these occupants whilst paying peanuts to the government for their quarters. Despite being aware of this entire irregularity the officials and authorities have only been mute spectators to the misdeeds.
The arrears of rents from Kadamba Transport Corporation drivers are over lakhs of rupees. Even after retirement several of them have not vacated their quarters. They have continued staying in the quarters as if they have an ownership of the accommodation. When Herald made inquiries on some of these cases it was revealed that one of the drivers of KTC has retired about 10 months ago but has not vacated the quarters till date.
The PWD officials have all the information about this particular driver and also are aware of the other cases in the quarters but have not dared to take action or ask the employees to vacate the quarters. Relatives of some PWD employees have also reportedly settled down in the quarters for years now.
The MLA of Fatorda, Vijai Sardesai, had committed to take up the matter and had also promised to raise the matter in the assembly session.
“The people’s representative has to take up the matter, investigate into it and give justice to the people who have been waiting to get a Government accommodation for quite some time now,” said a policeman from Margao. According to the available information there are several applications for government quarters lying in the PWD office. Presently, there are about 1000 government employees residing in the quarters out of which 600 have been reportedly staying illegally.
Similarly, a dismissed Kadamba bus driver has been staying in the quarters and the outstanding rent he owes to the PWD has reportedly crossed over Rs 9 lakh. It is learnt that many persons, who are not in government service, have also become long-term guests of these quarters without paying any rent for staying in these government buildings. Other than these, employees of sports departments, WRD, Court, PWD and other departments have also been staying in these quarters legally for quite some time now.
The Government Quarters at Borda have been divided categories of A and B classes. The A class accommodation is a single bed flat and the B class is a double bed flat. The resident employees have been charged Rs 3000 to Rs 5000 according to their basic salaries. In a town like Margao one has to spend thousands of rupees to pay rents in private accommodation. In these circumstances several people make attempts by hook or by crook to get a cheap accommodation in the town which also saves them from making papers or contracts.
“Several government employees have been staying in these quarters with their families after several years of retirement. The government has to inquire into these violations and has to allot quarters for those who really are in need of them,” said one of the needy government employees.
