Ex-Minister challenges eviction from Govt accommodation
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 30: Division Bench of the State High Court comprising Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Sindhu Sharma has directed the Estates Department to maintain status quo with regard to the possession of former Minister Thakur Randhir Singh and State President NCP over EP Flat No.298 situated at Wazarat Road, Jammu till next date of hearing.
After hearing Advocate S C Gupta with Advocates Supriya Chouhan and Rahul Raina appearing for appellant Thakur Randhir Singh, the Division Bench also issued notices to the Commissioner Secretary Estates Department, Director Estates, Custodian General EP Department, Custodian EP Jammu and Deputy Director Estates Jammu.
When this appeal came up for hearing Advocate S C Gupta appearing for former Minister submitted that the Single Judge while dismissing the writ petition relied upon a Division Bench judgment passed in the case of some ex-Ministers wherein the entire procedure of issuing notice under J&K Public Premises (Eviction of Un-authorized Occupants) Act, 1988 had been followed which was missing in the case of the appellant.
Advocate Gupta further submitted that the case of the appellant is entirely different and distinguishable from the law laid down by the Division Bench on which reliance was placed by the writ court.
“The appellant is 88 years old and suffering from various ailments. He has no house or accommodation anywhere in Jammu district or any part of the State. Moreover, land on which the flat in question has been built belongs to EP Department and with regard to other allottees the flats have been de-hired and the beneficiaries have executed long lease with the EP Department”, the counsel said, adding “two representations were preferred by the appellant seeking same treatment for de-hiring and subsequent allotment by the EP Department but no action till date has been initiated and the appellant was picked up for hostile treatment”.
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