PIB News Update:Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has been receiving calls from various allottees of General Pool Residential Accommodations (GPRA), who were/ are due to vacate their flats/ houses and are not able to do so in the light of the advisories regarding social distancing issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) under the current global Corona Virus Pandemic (COVID-19). Guidelines have been issued by Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) with do’s & don’ts for government personnel vide their O.M. dated 17.03.2020 to contain the spread of this Virus.
Further, in view of the Order for nation-wide complete lockdown to contain the fast spreading infection issued by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on 24 March, 2020, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has considered the extraordinary situation which is not conducive to move out of any accommodation to vacate and has, therefore, allowed suo-moto retention for the period from 17.03.2020 to 31.05.2020 for all allottees under the Central Government General Pool Residential Accommodation(CGGPRA) Rules, 2017 who were/ are expected to vacate or shift their flats/ houses.This relaxation will be applicable to all cases of retention and change of accomodation under GPRA Rules.
The Retention will be suo moto i.e. allottees need not apply for it.The suo-moto retention period will be on the payment of licence fees as applicable to the allottee under these rules. No damage will be charged for this period.
These relaxations will be given to such allottees also where (s)he has become unauthorized occupant of government accommodation before 17.03.2020. However, in such cases, after the retention period of 75 days i.e. upto 31.05.2020, the damages at telescopic rates, as was continuing prior to this period, will be resumed.
The instructions regarding suo moto extension upto 31.05.2020 is made available on GPRA website.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is committed for the well being of all residents and urges them to stay indoors. It reiterates the message of Hon’ble Prime Minister to strictly adhere to social distancing, not to panic and take all necessary precautions to stay healthy and safe.