DC Jammu/Srinagar to depute law enforcement teams for evictions
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Sept 4: Going tough, the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Secretariat is all set to get the Legislators’ Hostels in both the capital cities evicted from the unauthorized occupants, who include ex-Legislators, their relatives and some other influential.
Deputy Commissioners of Jammu and Srinagar will depute the law enforcement teams for evictions of the hostel accommodation from these unauthorized occupants, who have failed to comply with the repeated reminders in this regard by the Assembly Secretariat.
Urging the Deputy Commissioner Jammu/ Srinagar to treat the matter as most urgent, the Assembly Secretariat has dashed a formal communication to them seeking formal eviction proceedings against the unlawful occupants under the provision of Eviction of Public Premises Act, 1988.
In the communication, NO:LA-6038-40/H&P/2018, dated 4/9/2018, Secretary Legislative Assembly says that he has been directed to request the Deputy Commissioner Jammu/Srinagar to depute a law enforcement team under the supervision of Ist Class Magistrate for accomplishment of the job within a week’s time in consultation with the Manager, Legislator’s Hostel, Srinagar/Jammu so that the unauthorized occupants are evicted from the hostels in a lawful manner, treating the matter as most urgent.
According to the official records of the Assembly Secretariat, 19 rooms at Legislators’ Hostel in Jammu and 17 rooms at the Legislators’ Hostel in Srinagar are under the unauthorized occupation of some Ex-Legislators (both MLAs and MLCs), their relatives, political activists and a few other influential.
A few of these illegal occupants have been living there for more than two decades while some political activists, who have never been member of the either House, are also occupying these Legislator’s Hostel rooms, official sources told the Excelsior.
However, sources added, majority of these illegal occupants are the ex-Legislators, who were rejected by the people in last 2014 Assembly elections, but did not vacate the official accommodation till date.
Even as the Assembly Secretariat has time and again served the notices under relevant rules to these unauthorized occupants to vacate the said accommodation as they were no more entitled to the same under `The Residential Accommodation of Members of Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature Rules 1973 being ceased to be Members of Legislature, they did not vacate the accommodation under their unauthorized occupation.
Official sources said that the final eviction notice to these illegal occupants was served by the Assembly Secretariat on July 24, 2016 whereby they were asked to vacate the accommodation and hand over the possession of the same to the management of Legislator’s Hostel within a period of 10 days.
However, sources added, there was no compliance of the said eviction notice by the unauthorized occupants who seem to be reluctant to handover the possession of the accommodation under their illegal occupation to the hostel management.
“The un-warranted and defiant approach adopted by these occupants warrants action for formal eviction proceedings against them under the provision of Eviction of Public Premises Act, 1998,” read the formal communication from Assembly Secretariat, written to the Deputy Commissioners of Jammu and Srinagar, seeking accomplishment of the said job within a week’s time.
Pertinent to mention that Legislators’ Hostels in both the capital cities of the State are meant for according accommodation to the sitting MLAs and MLCs. However, due to the illegal occupation of the hostel rooms by Ex-Legislators’ and others, the Assembly Secretariat is forced to accommodate some MLAs/MLCs at Estate Department buildings or private accommodations hired for the same, thus causing un-necessary burden on the State exchequer.
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