In a Public Interest Litigation seeking eviction of former Legislators from government accommodations, the Estates Department in its latest status report submitted before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has said that cases of Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ex CM and Ravinder Raina, Ex BJP President J&K UT has placed before the designated committee in its meeting held for appropriate recommendations pertaining to allotment of goverment accomodation and appropriate orders and the decision thereon is awaited.
On the last date of hearing, Sr. AAG S.S Nanda urged the Bench that the instant PIL may be closed as government accommodations have been retrieved from politicians and there is no purpose to keep the same alive. However, Advocate S.S. Ahmed appearing for the petitioner had submitted before the Division Bench that certain ‘high-profile’ politicians are still occupying government accommodations and there cannot be two laws in one UT where almost 200 politicians have been evicted.
Advocate Ahmed had also drawn attention of the Division Bench towards order dated December 26th, 2022 passed by the Division Bench in CM Nos. 7467/2022 & 7468/2022 in WP(C) PIL No. 17/2020 filed by former MP Ch. Lal Singh wherein the Division Bench then comprising Chief Justice (Acting) Tashi Rabstan (since Retired) and Justice Rajesh Sekhri while dismissing the application of Ch. Lal Singh held that security assessment and entitlement to Govt. accommodation are two different issues and cannot be intermingled to defeat the process of law and Division Bench had also imposed a cost of Rs. 25000/- upon Ch. Lal Singh to be deposited in the Advocates’ Welfare Fund.
The Division Bench while taking note of the submissions of Advocate S.S. Ahmed had recorded the submission of Sr. AAG S.S. Nanda, that the Designated Committee is likely to review the matter within three weeks with regard to two politicians namely Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ravinder Raina and ordered that case be listed before the Division Bench on May 27th, 2025 when the latest status report of the Estates Department is likely to be considered.