Now, check condition of govt houses for allotment on UT website
Information comes to light as HC was hearing case in which a house in ‘inhabitable’ state was allotted to a court employee
Those applying for government accommodation in Chandigarh will now have the choice of checking its condition online. The administration will now provide photographs of houses up for allotment on its website.
UT house allotment committee (HAC) secretary Jitender Yadav informed the Punjab and Haryana high court that a procedure has already been established and clearances were awaited from NSS/NCC, whose personnel will be tasked, along with an official photographer, to document the status of each government house and make that data available on the website.
The information was given before the court of justice Rajive Narain Raina that was hearing a petition in which a house in “inhabitable” condition was allotted to a high court employee. When he requested for new allotment, he was told that he was ineligible for one year since he had refused to accept the accommodation after allotment. He had produced photographs of the flat and informed the court that he was unaware of condition of the flat since allotment was made through a bidding process and he was not made to see the flat.
The court had summoned Yadav, observing that the matter needed to be probed by an independent agency, if not by a judicial panel, as there existed an “opaque” system of allotment.
After UT’s assurance of photos online, justice Raina advised it could also put up maps of areas where accommodation is available. Details of amenities, such as functional taps, overhead tanks, doors, windows and sundry fixtures, could be provided online too so that people do not come to court complaining unless there is legal issue involved, he added.
The court has also sought an affidavit from UT explaining steps that the department will take to assist the HAC to bring in transparency in repair works. Steps be listed to stop the field staff from playing “hide and seek and merry hell”, the HC has said in the order.