The High Court has ordered collection of dues from ex Chief Ministers for the official bungalows and other facilities provided to them within six months. Hearing on a public interest litigation filed by the Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK), the division bench headed by chief justice Ramesh Ranganathan quashed all the government orders regarding facilities for ex CMs and directed that the pending house rent according to current market rates should be recovered within six months. Further, the State Government was directed to calculate the dues for electricity, water, gunner, telephone, petrol and other expenses of the ex-CMs and recover the same within four months. Regarding the late ND Tiwari, the division bench stated that if the government wishes, it can collect the dues from his property.
The court observed that the ex CMs got all facilities approved for themselves before the end of their term in office. The State government had submitted in the court that the dues of the five ex- CMs amounted to Rs 2.85 crore. This sum consisted of Rs 40.95 lakh due from Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Rs 46.95 lakh due from BC Khanduri, Rs 37.50 lakh due from Vijay Bahuguna, Rs 47.57 lakh due from Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Rs 1.13 crore due from the late ND Tiwari. It will be recalled that RLEK had filed a PIL in the high court contending that the provision of official bungalows and various other facilities being provided to former chief ministers was against the rules and illegal.
The petitioner had sought that the rent due for the official bungalows occupied by the ex CMs should be recovered from them.