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‘People will have to move court to get ex-CM’s bungalows vacated in MP’
It’s Lok Prahari’s petition which led to the Supreme Court striking down a provision in an Uttar Pradesh law which made ex-chief ministers over there to retain bungalows
People will have to move high court to get ex-CMs bungalows vacated in Madhya Pradesh as the Supreme Court’s judgment on ex-CMs bungalows in Uttar Pradesh doesn’t apply automatically on Madhya Pradesh or any other state, said Lok Prahari general secretary SN Shukla.
It’s Lok Prahari’s petition which led to the Supreme Court striking down a provision in an Uttar Pradesh law which made ex-chief ministers over there eligible to retain bungalows.
The judgment delivered on Monday means six former chief ministers in Uttar Pradesh – Mulayam Singh Yadav, his son SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, BJP’s Rajnath Singh, Congress’ ND Tiwari and former BJP leader Kalyan Singh will have to vacate their bungalows in Lucknow. Rajnath Singh is union home minister while Kalyan Singh holds the constitutional post of governor in Rajasthan.
In Madhya Pradesh there are four chief ministers who are having official bungalows besides staff, car and other facilities as they enjoy a cabinet minister rank as per a provision in Madhya Pradesh Ministers (Salary and Allowances) Act, 1972. They include Kailash Joshi, Digvijaya Singh, Uma Bharti and Babulal Gaur. Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is presently a member of Rajya Sabha. Uma Bharti is a union minister while another BJP leader Babulal Gaur is an MLA from Govindpura, Bhopal.
The NGO Lok Prahari’s general secretary SN Shukla said Rajasthan was only state in his knowledge where ex-CMs were provided bungalows as per an Act. Elsewhere as in the case of Uttar Pradesh the ex-CMs were allowed to retain bungalows as per executive orders.
However, Shukla added, “Whether it is as per any provision in any Act or any executive order, anybody is free to challenge the facilities enjoyed by ex-CMs, based on the Supreme Court’s judgment. However, he or she will have to write to the state government first to ask it to comply with the SC order. If the government doesn’t pay any attention to the letter then he or she is free to move the high court to file a petition based on the SC order.”
State government spokesperson parliamentary affairs minister Narottam Mishra said the government would study the SC judgment to arrive any conclusion as to what was supposed to be done in respect with Madhya Pradesh scenario.
A senior government official on condition of anonymity said he didn’t think the ex-CMs position in MP was tenable in view of the SC’s judgment. For, the principle on which the SC judgment was based will apply on every state in the country.
Former advocate general, Rajya Sabha member and Congress leader Vivek Tankha said, “The SC judgment will have to be studied first to know how it will affect ex-CMs in Madhya Pradesh. However, out of four ex-CMs in Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh , Uma Bharti and Babulal Gaur can retain their bungalows till they are enjoying their present position as Rajya Sabha member, union minister and MLA.”
