Jammu: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Wednesday granted four weeks to the Estates Department to conclude the process recommended by the Designated Committee regarding government accommodation occupied by former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and former BJP chief Ravinder Raina. The direction was issued by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal during the hearing of a public interest litigation seeking eviction of former ministers and legislators.
The Bench made it clear that no further adjournment would be granted. The instruction came after Senior Additional Advocate General Monika Kohli, appearing for the government, sought time to finalise the matter.
During the hearing of PIL No. 17 of 2020, counsel for the petitioner, Advocate S S Ahmed, drew the court’s attention to the latest status report of the Estates Department. The report stated that enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct during the by elections in Nagrota and Budgam had delayed the final decision on the two occupants, and the department required eight more weeks to conclude the process.
Advocate Ahmed argued that the Designated Committee had met in February and March this year and more than eight months had passed without action. He said the Model Code of Conduct had already lapsed and urged the court to grant no more than ten days for the government to take a final call.
He informed the Bench that certain dignitaries were still occupying government accommodation in both Jammu and Srinagar. He produced an RTI communication confirming that a former Deputy Chief Minister continued to reside in an official quarter in Jammu. The communication was handed over to the Senior AAG in open court and was perused by the Bench.
Advocate Ahmed further submitted that some unauthorised occupants who had been evicted had obtained injunctions from civil courts, which he said was a serious concern as the evictions were carried out under law laid down by the Supreme Court and monitored continuously by the Division Bench. The court said the issue would be examined.
After hearing both sides, the Division Bench directed the Estates Department to complete the pending process within four weeks and reiterated that no further extension would be granted. Given the public interest involved, the Bench ordered the registry to re list the matter on December 23. [KNT]
Comments are closed.