By PTI
LUCKNOW/DEHRADUN: Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and Congress veteran N D Tiwari's wife have sought more time to vacate their government houses in Lucknow, with Ujjwala Tiwari pleading that her husband was in the 'last stages' of his life.
Tiwari's wife wanted to keep the government bungalow for at least a year while Yadav sought two more years.
Following a Supreme Court order, the Uttar Pradesh government had served notices on six politicians asking them to vacate the bungalows allotted to them as former UP Chief Ministers.
Ujjwala Tiwari wrote to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today saying her husband has been undergoing treatment at Max Hospital, Saket in New Delhi for eight months and she too was seriously ill.
"Though I and my family honour the Supreme Court order, you are also aware that Mr Tiwari is in the last stages of his life and anything could happen any time," the letter in Hindi said.
She said the bungalow also houses the 'Pandit Narayan Dutt Tiwari Sarwajan Vikas Foundation'.
Mulayam Singh Yadav wrote to the UP estate department yesterday for two years' time to move out of his 5, Vikramaditya Marg bungalow, an official said.
Estate officer Yogesh Kumar Shukla said the letter has been forwarded to the law department.
He said the letter earlier sent by his son Akhilesh Yadav to stay on in his 4, Vikramaditya Marg bungalow for two more years is also with the law department.
On May 21, Akhilesh Yadav wrote to the estate officer, saying he should be allowed to stay on in the bungalow as he does not have any other suitable house to accommodate the security he enjoys as a former chief minister.
The Uttar Pradesh government had issued notices on May 17 to former chief ministers Narayan Dutt Tiwari, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Kalyan Singh, Mayawati, Rajnath Singh and Akhilesh Yadav.
While Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh indicated their willingness to vacate the bungalows, the others have expressed reluctance.
The Supreme Court had on May 7 said former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh cannot retain government accommodation after demitting office, observing that a CM was at par with a common man once his or her term ends.
The estate department's notice asked the former chief ministers to vacate the bungalows in 15 days, an official said.
The Supreme Court was hearing a petition filed by NGO Lok Prahari, challenging the amendments made by the erstwhile Akhilesh Yadav government to the UP Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1981, which allowed former chief ministers to retain their government bungalows for lifetime.
