The General Administration (GA) Department in Bhubaneswar is grappling with a significant revenue loss as numerous allottees of government quarters, including NGOs, individuals, and political parties, have failed to pay their rent. As of October 31, 2025, the total outstanding amount has ballooned to a staggering Rs 2.47 crore.
Assembly Revelation and Scale of Default
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi disclosed this information in the Odisha Legislative Assembly while responding to a query raised by Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati. The data tabled highlighted serious concerns over lax enforcement and the resultant financial drain on state resources.
The breakdown reveals that 81 NGOs and individuals collectively owe Rs 2.08 crore, while nine political parties have pending dues of Rs 39.04 lakh. The arrears vary widely, from a few thousand rupees to amounts running into lakhs.
Who Are the Top Defaulters?
The list of defaulters features several prominent and influential organizations. Leading the chart among NGOs and individuals is the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Operations, Tactical Headquarters, BSF) with outstanding rent of Rs 63 lakh.
Other major institutional defaulters include:
- CID (Crime Branch): Rs 26.17 lakh
- Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI): Rs 15.65 lakh
- Satyabhama Devi Welfare Trust: Rs 12.11 lakh
- Odisha Govt College Teachers’ Association: Rs 10.64 lakh
- Jagannath Swadhaya Mandalam: Rs 9.22 lakh
- Bhudan Yagna Samiti: Rs 7.96 lakh
- Utkal Sammilani: Rs 7.93 lakh
These entities have been allotted government quarters of various sizes at prime locations in the state capital, some for decades.
Political Parties in the List
The list of rent defaulters also includes political parties across the spectrum. The Odisha Communist Party tops this list with arrears of Rs 26 lakh.
It is followed by:
- CPI(M): Rs 4.08 lakh
- Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP): Rs 2.61 lakh
- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): Rs 62,042
- Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD): Rs 27,008
Official Response and Public Outcry
Senior officials from the GA department admitted that recovery efforts have been sluggish despite serving repeated notices. They attributed the problem to weak enforcement and a lack of timely rent revision over the years.
"These quarters were allotted decades ago, but rent revision and enforcement have been weak. We are planning stringent measures, including eviction and legal action," a senior official stated.
The revelation has sparked public anger, with citizens questioning the double standards in enforcing rules. Activist Pitambara Mishra from Bhubaneswar voiced a common sentiment: "When common people face strict penalties for minor delays, why should big entities get away with such huge arrears?"
The state government now faces the dual challenge of recovering crores in lost revenue and addressing perceptions of preferential treatment for powerful organizations occupying valuable government property.
