Reconsider Punjab food commission chairman’s house allotment issue: HC tells Chandigarh administration

Reddy had moved the HC in 2019, challenging the UT administration’s notice asking him to handover the Sector-16 accommodation that was allotted to him while he was serving as an IAS officer with the Punjab government

Quashing the order asking former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and Punjab State Food Commission chairperson DP Reddy to vacate his government-alloted accommodation, the Punjab and Haryana high court asked the UT administration to re-consider the matter.

Representative Image/HT

Reddy had moved the high court (HC) in 2019, challenging the UT administration’s notice asking him to handover the Sector-16 accommodation that was allotted to him while he was serving as an IAS officer with the Punjab government.

Reddy had taken premature retirement the same day he was appointed Punjab State Food Commission chairperson in 2018. In 2019, he had made a representation before the UT administration requesting that he be allowed to retain the house. The request was declined and Reddy was asked to vacate the accommodation, following which he had sought judicial intervention.

Now, the HC has quashed the order, in which he was given a week’s time to vacate the premises, and the house allotment committee has been asked to re-examine the issue within 15 days and make an allotment as per his entitlement. Till the time, status quo has been ordered.

Reddy had argued that being a chairperson, he is entitled to a higher category house against what he was occupying. He had also questioned why he was being asked to first vacate the house and then seek allotment as it would result in undue hardship and harassment.

The UT administration had told the court that the house allotted to him stood cancelled and he was no longer entitled to any government accommodation on account of his appointment and is only entitled to house-rent allowance.