MEA: UN mission asked to vacate bungalow to ‘rationalise’ presence

Confirming that the government has asked the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to vacate the government bungalow, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said that this is in tune with the effort to rationalise the UN mission’s presence in India.

Asserting that it has been India’s “consistent and long-standing view that UNMOGIP has outlived its mandate”, MEA’s official spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said they have “monetised” various facilities extended to the organisation.

As first reported by The Indian Express on Tuesday, the government has asked UNMOGIP to vacate the bungalow at 1 AB, Purana Qila Road.

“We have asked the UNMOGIP to vacate the bungalow on Purana Qila Road which they have been occupying free of charge. This is in line with our effort to rationalise the UNMOGIP presence in India. As part of this exercise, we have also monetised some of the facilities that UNMOGIP had been availing free of cost till now,” he said.