Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 21: The Government has asked former Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti to vacate her Fairview residence on Gupkar road.
The Estates Department has served an eviction notice to Mehbooba Mufti to vacate the Fairview residence in which her family lives since 2005 when her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
The notice issued by Estates Department on October 15 to Mehbooba read: “Kindly find enclosed Notice No. DDES/SC/2022/2794 dated 15-10-2022, issued under Sub-Section 1 of Section 4 of The Jammu and Kashmir Public Premises (Eviction of Un-authorized Occupants) Act, 1988, read with amended Act, 2016.”
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The Estates Department, in the notice, further said that the Government was willing to provide Mufti an alternative accommodation.
“It is to be communicated to your goodself that, should you require an alternative accommodation, the Government is willing to provide the same on your request, on security or any other ground(s),” added the notice.
The former CMs are no longer entitled to official accommodation after the Government of India amended a State law in 2020.
The Fairview residence of Muftis was formerly an infamous torture center, known as PAPA-II.
Till 1989, it served as an official guest house. The building was occupied by the Border Security Force in 1990, which named it PAPA-II.
It continued to function as an interrogation and torture center till 1996.
In 1996, Ashok Jaitley, former Chief Secretary of the State moved in and used it as his residence. In 2003, it was renovated and served as the residence of then Finance Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig.
The Guest House was declared “sub-jail” when Mehbooba Mufti was shifted from Transport Yard building here while she remained booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) in the aftermath of the Article 370 revocation.
Mufti has been among the vocal critics of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party since she was forced to step down as the Chief Minister after the party withdrew support for her Government in June 2018.
Earlier this year, another former Chief Minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah had vacated his official residence.
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