THE GOVERNMENT has decided to allot 12 Janpath — which was earlier occupied by Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Ram Vilas Paswan till his death in October 2020 — to President Ram Nath Kovind as his retirement house. Kovind’s tenure ends on July 24. While the bungalow was allotted to Union Railways and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in August 2021, he could not move in as it was still occupied by Paswan’s family. “Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was allotted another bungalow on 32 Prithviraj Road, where he has moved in,” said a senior official of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. In March this year, the government got Paswan’s family to vacate the bungalow. While the family had sought more time, the Delhi High Court had dismissed their petition and refused to intervene in the eviction process initiated by the Directorate of Estate, under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. All retired Presidents are entitled to a rent-free furnished residence, including its maintenance, as well as secretarial staff, as per the President's Emoluments and Pension Act, 1951. As a convention, former Presidents are allotted Type VIII bungalows. According to Directorate of Estate rules, Type VIII bungalows, which have seven rooms with domestic help quarters, are also allotted to serving ministers, Rajya Sabha members, and senior members of the judiciary.
