Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, July 10: Notwithstanding established norms for allotment of Government accommodations and eviction of the same within a stipulated timeframe, a number of politicians from different political outfits are illegally occupying the Estates Department lodging in Winter Capital of the State.
The list of such politicians, approximately one hundred, includes former Ministers, Legislators and Members of Parliament, who are no more entitled for the Government buildings while permissible period for retention of the allotted accommodation to them has also expired.
The illegal occupying of Estates buildings and quarters by these politicians is causing great loss to the public exchequer as the Government is forced to spend lakhs of rupees on rent for providing private accommodation to others, who could have been adjusted in these unlawfully occupied buildings.
The politicians, who are occupying the Government accommodation even after expiry of their term, include former minister Mohd Sharief Niaz, Manjit Singh, Thakur Puran Singh, Babu Singh, Yogesh Sawhney, Thakur Randhir Singh, Syed Mushtaq Bukhari, Gharu Ram Choudhary, ex-Legislators Mohd Sharief Bhat, Prof Bhim Singh, R C Sharma, Ashok Kumar Sharma, Bharat Raina, Abdul Rehman Turkoo, Gh Mohi-ud-Din, Syed Abdul Rashid, Abdul Rashid Mir, Gh Qadir Wani, Peerzada Ghulam Jeelani, Gh Haider Malik, Tokden Rinpoche, Gul Rafiqui, Mohd Khalil Naik, Jala-ud-Din Qazi, Ghulam Hassan Malik, Mohd Iqbal Bhat, Nisar Ahmad Khan, Girdhari Lal, Aga Syed Rizvi, Tsepan Namgyal, Charanjit Singh, Ravinder Sharma, M Y Shah, Peer Afaq and others while ex-MPs Ali Mohd Nayak, S Trilok Singh Bajwa and Madan Lal Sharma are also in this list.
Besides, family members of some deceased politicians as well as a number of lesser known political activists, who have never remained member of any House or held any position in the Government, are also in the list of such persons enjoying Government accommodation.
The political persons occupying Government accommodation without being a member of any House in past also, include Bharat Raina, Om Parkash, Shah Rafiqi, Zulfikar Ali Rahat, Mohd Shafi, Sheikh Mujib Ali, Shadi Khan, Mohd Shafi, Haji Mariam Sheikh, Mohd Afzal Wani, Mohd Shafi Sheikh, B S Sambyal, Vijay Kumar, G Q Tak, Drakshan Andrabi and others.
Interestingly, while majority of these political activists belong to Congress and National Conference, a few of them are leader of political outfits like Samajwadi Party, which have little existence in the State. This information was secured under RTI Act by S Balwinder Singh.
Pertinent to mention that as per the Government order number 169- GAD of 2004, permissible period for retention of the official residential accommodation is one month since the completion of term as Legislator or MP and two month in case of death of the allottee.
When contacted, Director Estates Department, G N Ittoo said that the action was being initiated against the illegal occupants, who are no more entitled for the Government accommodation, which was allotted to them as Minister, Legislator or Member of Parliament. “In some cases, notices have been served by the Estates Department and within days, second notice will also be issued while forcible eviction will be carried immediately after the third and final notice to the illegal occupants,” he added.
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