Ever wondered why the outstanding dues from the MP’s servants’ quarters exceed that of the leader’s bungalow? That’s because those living in the servants’ quarters outnumber the residents at the MP’s house. Take 8, Ashoka Road, for example. More than 50 people live in the servants’ quarters attached to Vaishali MP Dr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD) in the 13th Lok Sabha. The outstanding electricity bill of the servants’ quarters is Rs 86,079 while that of the MP’s bungalow is only Rs 5,984.The servants’ quarter, which has seven rooms, is meant for the MP’s staff. But many of those staying there have little to do with the MP’s residence. While an auto-driver, related to Singh’s PA, lives in one of the rooms, a Delhi Police constable occupies another with his six-member family.Suman (name changed), who stays in one of the rooms, says Singh doesn’t live here. And when Parliament is in session, one loses count of the number of people who drop in from the MP’s constituency.Each room has been partitioned into a living room and kitchen. A common toilet serves all seven families. The woman who cleans up the bungalow is also a resident along with her husband and six adult children. She says that she also works in the five star hotel next door. ‘‘Some of our relatives are working in the bungalows on Feroze Shah Road, so we often stay at each others’ quarters. Nothing is fixed about who stays where,’’ she says.Singh, when contacted in Patna, said he knows ‘‘not less than 50 people’’ stay at his servants’ quarter. ‘‘Earlier I was minister and was entitled to everything.the servants have got used to everything free.’’ Asked why the bills from the quarters exceed that of his own, he said: ‘‘All of them have fridge, TV, cooler.’’ He alleged: ‘‘The bill calculations are wrong.’’ He said as an MP, he was entitled to 50,000 units of electricity annually and ‘‘I have surplus units but they’ve been saying all that has lapsed.’’
