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| Govt accommodation not for all | | |
Recently Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court dismissed the appeal of a former minister to let him stay in a government bungalow on the pretext of security reasons.
While dismissing the appeal of the former minister the High Court observed that there was no doubt that the applicant is entitled to proper security cover, which is required to be reviewed/re-assessed from time to time, however, there is nothing on the record to suggest that there is any policy or guideline under which the Central or the UT Government are bound to provide official accommodation to Z-Category protectee.
After the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, the government has acted swiftly by asking all the former MLAs and Member Parliaments to vacate the government accommodations. The administration has made it clear that the former MLAs, MPs and ministers cannot occupy the government accommodation as they are not entitled for it. Even the former J&K chief ministers have been made to vacate the official bungalows.
The reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir has brought the erstwhile princely state at par with the other parts of the country. Politicians are no more treated as VIPs, nor are they being given any leverage over a common man. Everyone is being treated equally and the same laws are applicable to all. There is no doubt about the fact that many politicians are facing a life threat from the terrorists and they have been provided a security cover. They can only seek a security cover and not accommodation. The line has been drawn and the High Court has followed the same principle while turning down the appeal of the former minister to let him stay in an official accommodation. The government during the past three years has made it explicitly clear that no undue favours will be extended to anyone only for the reason that he/she enjoyed the privileges when J&K was a state. The transition of Jammu and Kashmir into a Union Territory has led to the Right of Equality being applied in the region in letter and spirit. The official accommodation has been reserved for the people who are connected with the government and are eligible for it. Every person who till 2019 was a VIP in J&K cannot retain it. |
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