In a significant development, the Governor-led administration in J&K has asked former ministers of the PDP-BJP government to vacate ministerial bungalows under their possession within next seven days as “they have no right to occupy them.”
“….You are requested to kindly handover the possession of the ministerial bungalow allotted to you in your capacity as Hon’ble Minister to the Estates department within seven days from the date of issuance of this communication,” reads the notice served to the former ministers individually by the State’s Estates department.
The notices were slapped on the ministers after Raj Bhavan—in mid-February—turned down a proposal for continuation of ministerial-type accommodation facilities to them.
According to sources, 13 and 19 ministerial-type bungalows are still under possession of former ministers in Jammu and Kashmir regions, respectively.
In the notice, the former ministers have been told that they have “no right to hold the accommodation allotted to them as ministers.”
“As per the allotment of the Estates department, a person is entitled to hold government accommodation including ministerial bungalows up to one month after relinquishing/ceasing to hold the office and this one month in the instant case has expired more than a fortnight ago,” the notice read.
The PDP-BJP government—formed on March 01 last year—ceased to exist on January 7 this year following the death of Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed. The state came under Governor’s rule on January 8, day Sayeed passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences at New Delhi.
24 legislators from PDP and BJP are no longer ministers after Sayeed’s death.
