Water, electricity connections snapped at ex-Assam CM Mahanta's quarters

Guwahati, Nov 2 (IANS) Water and electricity connections were snapped on Wednesday at the assembly quarters of former Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta as he was overstaying there despite receiving notice several times to vacate it, officials said.

Currently, Mahanta is not an MLA and he has not been entitled to have quarters there, a government official said.

The General Administration Department of the state government looks after providing accommodation to lawmakers.

A senior official said the Assam secretariat is building new residential complexes for the accommodation of MLAs and notice was sent to all the MLAs to vacate the old Assam-type quarters.

"By August 15, all MLAs vacated their houses except former CM Mahanta who is not even an MLA now kept on requesting for a seven-day extension for the last two and half months," he added.

Since 1985, when Mahanta became the Chief Minister of Assam for the first time, he has been living in a house at the Assembly house complex which was designed by joining three quarters.

The officer said that the former Chief Minister was allowed to stay there on request. But since they were not vacating the quarters after several notices, the department had to snap the water and electricity connection there.

However, Mahanta's wife Joyasree Goswami Mahanta claimed that they have already moved to a new house.