Jharkhand Leaders Draw Big

Three leaders from Jharkhand get flats, making it the most for politicians from any state.

Three leaders from Jharkhand were listed in this year’s allotment of DDA flats in the NCR, making it the most for politicians from any state. The recipients, all listed in the Scheduled Tribe category, include Rajya Sabha MP and National Advisory Committee member Ram Dayal Munda, state Congress President Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu and former deputy CM of Jharkhand Stephen Marandi. Munda was listed for a low-income group category flat in Loknayak Puram, while the other two have got high-income group flats in Vasant Kunj and Rohini respectively.

The news came as a surprise for Munda, who has been diagnosed with advanced stage cancer in the prostate gland, urinary bladder and bones, and is currently admitted at AIIMS. “Lottery and luck are very difficult things to believe in,” Munda said.

The ST category also listed two names—Neeraj Bhalla and Mohd Jabir Hasan—whose occurrence there left even the DDA stumped. “Separate lots were held for the ST category and the leaders got lucky,” says Neemo Dhar, commissioner of public relations at the DDA. “The other two names listed will be asked for certificates to prove their status.”

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Arindam Mukherjee