The petitioner in the case against provision of residences and various facilities provided to fomer Chief Ministers has stated that all the other former Chief Ministers have vacated their official houses except for Narayan Datt Tiwari and Vijay Bahuguna. The petitioner, Rural litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RlEK) chairman Avadhash Kausal said that “these former chief ministers have entered the Bharatiya Janata Party and are waiting for the results of the elections so that in case if BJP party wins then the party will stand by their side and they will not have to vacate the houses”. The date of hearing of final order is due on February 15 at the High Court of Uttarakhand in Nainital.
In a statement issued by Kaushal on Tuesday, it is stated that according to information received under the Right To Information Act, more than Rs. 1303,34,160 (Thirteen crore three lakh thirty four thousand one hundred and sixty ) has been spent on vehicle maintenance, fuel out of Dehradun, hired taxi, salaries to drivers, gardener, cook, stenographer, telephone attendant, electricity expenses, telephone expenses, security guard at Bageshwar, security guard at Haridwar, security guard and fuel at Nainital.
The statement issued by RlEK states, “The State Government has asked these former Chief Ministers to give the rent of these palatial buildings at the rate of Rs 1,000 per month only while Supreme Court has very clearly said that the rent has to be calculated at market price (rent). In Dehradun, one cannot find a single tinshed room for Rs 1,000 per month. The expenditure on the furniture, maintenance of these chief ministers’ houses have not been included which is also more than Rs two crore on each of them.
The electricity expenses in circuit house annexe occupied by Ramesh Pokhriyal, Bhuwan Chand Khanduri as former chief ministers, is more than Rs 22 lakh which is also provided in the attached file. The telephone expenses of Nishank and Bahuguna as well as the expense on their assistant, gardener and sweepers have also not been included in this expenditure. One of the former chief ministers, ND Tiwari who had filed an affidavit that he had been a freedom fighter and a governor so he should be permitted to stay back however the court thrashed and said that if the house is not vacated by February 15 then the house will be vacated forcefully. Thereafter ND Tiwari informed the court that he will vacate the house before the February 15. But now Tiwari has submitted an application for time extension stating ‘That since now a days there is a winter season and due to old age and infirmity the applicant is not been able to shift himself to any other accommodation. Therefore, the applicant/respondent no. 2 is seeking for the extension of the time to vacate the premises upto March 31’,” the statement adds.