The pressure on the Urban Development Ministry began immediately after the new Council of Ministers was sworn in. With majority of the 42 Ministers in the new Government needing immediate accommodation, the pressure on Government accommodation is immense. And many first-time Ministers, belonging to different coalition parties, have been forced to put up in their State Bhawans for want of any other shelter.

The Ministry's arduous task is not being made any easy by demands from many Ministers that they be allotted accommodation of their preference. Coupled with this is the not-so-unusual but equally tough task of "persuading" former Ministers, occupying bungalow-type accommodation, to either vacate or shift to alternate premises.

For example, sources point out, Union Defence Minister George Fernandes has conveyed to theMinistry that he prefers a house either at Safdarjung Lane or Tughlaq Crescent. Although as a Cabinet Minister he is authorised Type VIII or bungalow accommodation, the Samata Party leader has said that he is willing to settle for one category lower (Type VII). However, he is not ready to compromise on the address. Interestingly, Fernandes is already occupying a Type VII house (3-Krishna Menon Marg).

There are others also in the race for accommodation of their preference. Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Uma Bharati has requested the Urban Development Ministry that she be allotted 9, Thyagaraj Marg.

Interestingly, 9, Thyagaraj Marg -- at present occupied by Minister of State for Coal Dalip Ray -- appears to be a much sought after house. A request for its allotment was also put in by Minister of State for Civil Supplies Satyapal Singh Yadav. But Uma Bharati seems to have had her way this time. While she managed to get her preferred house, Yadav had to be content with a house onPandara Road (AB-14). Ray, the present occupant of the house, has been given another house (9-Teen Murti Lane).

Others have not been that fortunate. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas K Ramamurthy wanted to move in to 1, Thyagaraj Marg. The Ministry refused to oblige, allotting him AB-4, Pandara Road, instead.

Going by the "sensitivity" of the task and to ensure that it is completed without leaving any ruffled feathers, the office of the Urban Development Minister is directly handling the allotment of houses to Ministers, under the personal supervision of the Minister himself.

To ease the situation somewhat, the Ministry has made an informal "internal" policy to allot Type VIII houses only to Cabinet Ministers and request Ministers of State to move into Type VII accommodation "for the time being". According to housing rules, all Ministers, whether of Cabinet or Minister of State rank, are entitled to Type VIII or bungalow-type accommodation but, as Ministry officials point out, the change inpolicy has been necessitated by the "unavailability" of bigger houses.

One reason for the shortage is the fact that many ministerial bungalows are still occupied by Ministers from earlier Governments, some of whom have even ceased to be MPs. The Urban Development Minister has personally written to the occupants of these houses to vacate the premises as soon as possible "due to the seriousness of the housing shortage" -- a move which, officials say, has no precedent.

While the Ministry is yet to find accommodation for as many as 10 Ministers, the story is far from over for those who have made it to the list of allottees. As many as 14 Ministers who have been allotted houses in different parts of the city will only be able to move in when their present incumbents vacate. These include stalwarts such as Communications Minister Buta Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana.