Delhi High Court seeks details on government bungalows from Centre

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has directed the Centre to give details of the government accommodations that have been vacated, re-allotted, and the recovery of dues or penal interest made in respect of illegally occupied residences.

A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar also sought the details of the notices issued for vacating the bungalows and for recovery of dues from illegal occupants of the accommodations.

The direction came after the Housing Ministry told the court that out of the approximately 565 illegally occupied accommodations, 347 have been vacated and 69 have been re-allotted.

Of the remaining 149, seven were put in another department’s pool, in 14 there is a stay against eviction, in another 55 which were allotted to Kashmiri migrants there is a stay against eviction and 73 units are yet to be vacated, the ministry told the court.

It also told the bench that eviction orders have been passed in respect of the 73 illegally occupied units and necessary steps will be taken to vacate them.

Subsequently, the court directed, “A detailed affidavit shall be filed by Union of India giving the latest figures of the accommodations vacated, re-allotted, notices issued and the recovery made by respondent No 1 (ministry). The said affidavit be filed within four weeks.”

With the direction on February 27, the bench listed the matter for further hearing on May 20. The court was hearing a PIL which has claimed that several official residences for MPs, MLAs and bureaucrats were being ‘illegally’ occupied.

What court said

•  On February 5, the court had rebuked the ministry for permitting so many govt accommodation units to be illegally occupied by retired officials and ex-MPs.
   
•  It had directed the govt to get these accommodations vacated in two weeks.