Central Services to get housing quota

NEW DELHI: Its the turn of government officers from the Central Services to feel good. The government proposes to provide a new, separate housing quota for officers belonging to this cadre. Till now, only the All India Services (AIS) — the IAS, IPS, IFS, etc got government accommodation while a large number of central services officers posted in Delhi were forced to seek private accommodation at rentals well above their house rent allowance (HRA).
For example, for a government officer of the rank of under secretary, an HRA of 30% of a basic salary of Rs 12,000 is just Rs 3,600, while market rentals for private accommodation comparable to government accommodation is often more than double this level. The urban development ministry has already issued a notification for the allotment of 367 apartments under a separate tenure pool or non-AIS pool for officers from the Central Services. Sources say the current availability matches the demand but this will be reviewed every three years to maintain the compatibility between demand and supply.
The decision to create this separate housing pool was taken in consultation with the ministries of finance and home affairs as well as the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT). The accommodation proposed to be placed in the non-AIS pool consists of 24 Type VI and 63 Type V apartments at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg (Rouse Avenue). About 138 apartments will be shifted out of the existing general pool, comprising roughly 1,200 apartments, to the non-AIS pool over a period of five years beginning 2003-4. Additionally, around 42 Type IV (special) and 100 Type IV apartments in the Dev Nagar Housing Project will be placed in the non-AIS Tenure Pool upon completion of construction.
On expiry of their deputation tenure with the central government, all non-AIS officers who secure a posting in their parent department cadres in Delhi itself, will not be eligible for retention of government accommodation from the non-AIS tenure pool.
According to the ministry guidelines, vacation of accommodation will be insisted upon unless these officers continue to be eligible after such reversion and posting in Delhi, for allotment of accommodation from the General Pool and their date of priority is covered for allotment of such accommodation. The guidelines promise that if this leads to retention of accommodation in the non-AIS tenure Pool, equal number and equivalent categories of accommodation will be transferred and placed from the General Pool to the non-AIS Tenure Pool to ensure that there is no depletion in the non-AIS Tenure Pool for non-AIS officers.