A year on, Odisha BJP MLA Dilip Ray yet to get quarters in city

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 19:

Even a year after his election as a member of the Odisha Assembly, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Union minister Dillip Ray is yet to be allotted a government quarters in the state capital.

Ray has written to the chief secretary twice after being elected to this Assembly requesting  him to allot a quarters to him, but to no avail.

While the ruling party leaders ‘rehabilitated’ as chairperson of several corporations have occupied quarters beyond their eligibility, defeated candidates of the party are yet to hand over the quarters to the concerned departments.

The Rourkela MLA, who is eligible to avail a quarters above Type VI in view of his seniority, had written to Chief Secretary GC Pati in May last year with his preference of the location.

In his first application on May 31 last year, the saffron party leader had enlisted a number of vacant quarters under Unit –I and Unit-VI. But, he did not get any response from the state government.

On November 22, the government offered him a duplex quarters under Nayapalli area in the city. However, he refused to accept it as it did not satisfy his requirements.

The businessman-turned-politician wrote to the chief secretary again on November 22 last and furnished a list of available quarters. But, the government is yet to respond to it.

Opposition members have criticised the dilly-dallying attitude of the government to provide quarters to Ray.

The Opposition party members have alleged that the ruling party members have been extended preferential treatment whereas Opposition members have been denied their dues.

As per sources, several chairpersons of corporations have been allotted quarters of their choice in posh localities, including in Unit-I and Unit-VI areas.