Anil Baijal (File)
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday set aside Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal’s order cancelling the allotment of a bungalow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), stating that it did not refer to any rules and policies. Justice Vibhu Bakhru directed the L-G to pass a “reasoned order” within eight weeks after providing an opportunity to the AAP to be heard. “No showcause notice was issued… it is ex-facie apparent that the L-G order is not reasoned and it is not possible to discern under which policies it was passed,” the judge said.
The judge also told the Centre that if there was a policy for allotment of bungalows to political parties, it had to be uniform. Referring to the Public Works Department’s orders directing the AAP to pay dues of about Rs 27 lakh as rent, the judge said “consequent orders” passed after the passing of the L-G’s directive were to be put in “abeyance”.
In April, the L-G had cancelled the allotment of bungalow 206 in Rouse Avenue after the Shunglu Committee report raised questions about the allotment. The Shunglu panel was set up to probe alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Delhi government. The AAP then moved the High Court, saying that according to the Centre’s policy, all registered political parties were entitled to a bungalow. But the AAP was singled out and the bungalow allotment was cancelled, it said.
