PIL on retention of ministerial bungalows by ex-Legislators: List of 48 politicians filed in court

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: In the much Publicized Public Interest Litigation (PIL) No. 17/2020 titled ‘Prof SK Bhalla versus Union Territory of J&K & Ors’ seeking eviction of ex-Legislators from Ministerial Bunglows in Jammu/ Srinagar cities, Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed-Counsel for the petitioner has filed the list as per the directions of the Division Bench issued vide dated 13th September, 2023 regarding the personal accommodation, houses of the 48 Politicians (ex-Legislators, Political Persons) in Jammu as well in Kashmir, as the Division Bench had directed Advocate SS Ahmed to furnish a list of those persons who possess houses in Jammu or in Kashmir as mentioned in the Annexure-R1 to the status report filed on 28th March, 2023, within the meaning of Regulation 5 of J&K Estates Department (Allotment of Govt. Accommodation) Regulations, 2004.
In the list filed by Advocate SS Ahmed, the complete details of the residential houses owned, possessed by the 48 Politicians in Jammu/Kashmir has been given and their names are Ghulam Nabi Azad (Former C.M.), Shamsher Singh Manhas (Ex-MP), Muzaffar Hussain Beigh (Ex-MP), Chander Mohan Gupta (Former Mayor, JMC), Kavinder Gupta (Former Deputy Chief Minister), Sunil Sharma (Former Minister), Ravinder Raina (State President,BJP), G.M. Saroori (Ex-MLA), Neelam Langeh (Ex-MLA), Daleep Singh Parihar (Ex-MLA), Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar (Ex-MLA), Bali Bhagat (Former Minister), Sat Sharma (Former Minister), R.S. Pathania (Ex-MLA), Family of Late Sh. Rajesh Gupta (Ex-MLA), Molvi Imran Raza Ansari (Former Minister), Ravinder Sharma (Ex-MLC/Spokesperson JKPCC), Vibodh Gupta (Ex-MLC), Pardeep Sharma(Ex-MLC), Tariq Ahmed Keen (Political Person), Wazira Begum (Political Person), Shilpi Verma (Political Person), Shafiq Mir (Chairman, Panchayat Conference), Hakeem Mohammad Yasin (Ex-MLA), Sajjad Gani Lone (Ex-MLA), M.Y. Tarigami (Ex-MLA), Abdul Rahim Rather (Ex-MLA), Sofi Yousuf (Ex-MLC), Abdul Majid Padder (Ex-MLA), Zafar Iqbal Manhas (Ex-MLC), Nizam-u-Din Bhat (Ex-Vice Chairperson), Fayaz Ahmed Mir (Ex-MP), Abdul Gani Vakil (Ex-MLC), Surinder Ambardar (Ex-MLC), Sona Ullah Lone (Political Person), Zahid Hussain Jan (District President, Congress), S.S. Channi (Political Person), Raja Manzoor (Ex-MLA), Muzaffar Shah (General Secretary, Awami National Conference), Bashir Ahmed Dar (Ex-MLA), Vikram Randhawa (Ex-MLC) (BJP Office), Haji Ab Rashid (Ex-MLA), Yasir Reshi (Ex-MLC), Abdul Rahim Rather (Ex-MLA, JKPDP), Mohammad Amin Bhat (Ex-MLA), Shoaib Nabi Lone (Ex-MLA) and Mohammad Abbas Wani (Ex-MLA).
Besides this, Senior AAG SS Nanda has also filed a status report as per the directions of the Division Bench dated 13th September, 2023 wherein the Deputy Director Estates, Jammu has submitted that the matter with regard to alternative accommodation/ houses of 48 Politicians either in Jammu/Kashmir needs to be confirmed/verified from the occupants and for that purpose the Estates Department has written to all the persons (48) occupying accommodation for providing details as to whether they possess any alternate residential accommodation at Jammu or Srinagar. The status report further says that for obtaining the details from the 48 occupants, the Estates Department may need some reasonable time.
It may be recalled that on the last date of hearing i.e. 13th September, 2023, Advocate S.S. Ahmed appearing for the petitioner had vociferously highlighted before the Division Bench that the Estates Department has been selective in getting the government accommodation vacated from the ex-Legislators as for no valid reasons the Estates Department allotted government accommodation to 48 Politicians by using 5% discretionary quota as in terms of Regulation 4 of the Jammu and Kashmir Estates Department (Allotment of Government Accommodation) Regulations, 2004.
Advocate Ahmed had also referred to Regulation 5 which debars government accommodation to the persons who own or possess a house in the concerned city whether in proprietorship or lease or otherwise, whether by themselves or through their spouses, sons, unmarried daughters or parents.
Advocate S.S. Ahmed had informed the Division Bench that most of the 48 Politicians have their Palatial Bunglows in Jammu/Srinagar cities and were not eligible for allotment of government accommodation under discretionary quota.
Today, the PIL was listed before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice N. Kotiswar Singh and Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi (through virtual mode) but because of the heavy schedule, the same could not be taken up for hearing.