The Estates Department has asked all former ministers, staying in government accommodation, to vacate these as per the orders of the committee formed after High Court directions last year. Earlier, in contrast to the speculations that government may be formed by PDP and BJP very soon with possible end to the two-month long impasse in next few days, many preferred to stay on and got them spruced up according to their taste. It is not that they don’t have homes; they were entitled to reside in the official bungalows for a period of one month but many continued to stay beyond the permissible time period and continue to enjoy free water, electricity and other facilities, offered to them as they were in the office. Not only this a number of politicians, who are no more member of any House, still occupy the government accommodation in Jammu and Srinagar. The government during late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s rule had formed committee of eight members that was headed by the Additional Director General of Police, Security, and had SSPs and DCs of Jammu and Srinagar cities and the director estates as its members. The committee was formed after the High Court directions which came following the writ petition filed by some of the former ministers when they were asked by the government to vacate the official residence. The government has come out with a list 46 politicians who are yet to vacate the government accommodation after demitting the office. Many of them are not even paying the rent and charges for the water and power consumption with immunity. Why not Govt impose and charge market rate for rent and services? Or are these violators have special rules to dispense with? This is a reflection of the corruption and manipulation prevailing in the system, that influential ones do not want to come out of the luxury of the environment and free accommodation because of the tainted system.
