In Bihar, all legislators are equal, but some are more equal than others. The state’s cabinet has approved a policy allowing cabinet ministers, senior legislators and key assembly functionaries to maintain two official residences, with the payment of a very nominal rent for the second.
Opposition leaders have criticised the policy of the Nitish Kumar government, dubbing it as unethical, inappropriate and uncalled for. State Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Manganl Lal Mandal wondered why ministers required two residences.
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Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) spokesman Asit Nath Tiwari said that houses with a rent of lakhs are being given to leaders for just ₹1,700 a month. “This is Nitish’s version of socialism. Instead of providing homes to the poor, sweets (rewards/favours) are being distributed to ruling party leaders.
State parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary justified the new policy , claiming it is about smart resource management rather than perks. “We’re simply putting vacant legislature-allotted homes to good use,” Chaudhary told HT. These properties, he explained, are designated for MLAs and MLCs based on their constituencies but often stay empty when occupants are given ministerial status and spacious bungalows from other departments.
“Why let constituency-specific houses deteriorate when they could be occupied? Under the new policy, eligible legislators—including ministers, the assembly speaker, deputy speaker, legislative council chairman and deputy, plus others with ministerial rank—can claim these spots for a nominal monthly rent of around ₹1,800 to ₹1,900. They’ll cover their own utilities, like electricity and phone bills, and the homes are strictly for residential use,” clarified Chaudhary, who also serves as the building construction department (BCD) minister.
Bihar’s government housing system has two pools: the central one, general overseen by the BCD, which handles ministerial allotments, and the legislative pool, tailored for elected representatives.
Chaudhary elaborated on the constituency angle: “These bungalows are earmarked by electoral areas, so no swapping allowed. But when a legislator ascends to a cabinet role or gains ministerial status without being accommodated in the cabinet, their original spot goes unused. This policy bridges that gap.”
The infrastructure is already in place—243 homes in the MLA complex, each 3,681 square feet large, one for each assembly seat, alongside 75 similar units for MLCs. Senior legislators, who are not in the cabinet but enjoy ministerial status,are also eligible for the extra residence.
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