At least 12 government employees, ranging from collector to sweeper, have defaulted on paying the punishable rent and penalty to the tune of Rs 65 lakh levied on them for not vacating government flats, an RTI query has revealed.
Replying to the application filed by Anil Galgali, Executive Engineer of PWD department stated that there are five bureaucrats among the 12 who have not yet vacated their respective accommodation, allotted to them earlier, despite having been transferred long time back.
Galgali had filed the query with General Administration Department (GAD) to know the names of bureaucrats who were living in government accommodation illegally, despite notices being served to them.
Some of the officers who owe dues to government are Thane Collector Ashwini Joshi, former Principal Secretary P K Jain who owes Rs 9.81 Lakh to the state exchequer.
Joshi, who was transferred on December 17, 2014, is still occupying her flat in 'Kedar 2' for which PWD had sent a notice with punishable dues of Rs 3.06 lakh.
When contacted, Joshi said, "I have requested the PWD to reduce the amount of the dues, after which I would settle the payment".
When asked whether she would vacate the flat after settling the dues, she said, "I don't want to make a comment on this issue".
Galgali said these government officers are themselves the biggest lawbreakers and demanded that government should tighten the noose on them.
"This is just a tip of iceberg. There are thousands of government flats across the cities in the state, and this lawlessness is prevailing everywhere. It's high time that government must launch a drive to vacate the flats and allot them to the rightful applicants," he said.
