HC questions out of turn house allotments to cops in Chandigarh

The bench asserted that Clause 3 of the Rule 11(f) of The Government Residents (Chandigarh Administration General Pool) Allotment Rules, 1996 makes it clear that no allotment of house be made on out of turn basis on security grounds.

The Punjab and Haryana high court has questioned out of turn allotment of government houses to policemen in the city.

The court was hearing a plea in which in August it had sought details about availability of houses for cops and policemen from other states performing special duties. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The bench asserted that Clause 3 of the Rule 11(f) of The Government Residents (Chandigarh Administration General Pool) Allotment Rules, 1996 makes it clear that no allotment of house be made on out of turn basis on security grounds.

The court was hearing a plea in which in August it had sought details about availability of houses for cops and policemen from other states performing special duties. Further, the UT was asked to explain that whether a seniority list is maintained regarding such applicants who are seeking out of turn allotments with their ranks etc.

The UT in an affidavit had submitted “certain information”, including a tentative list of police officials keeping 98 civil pool houses. The UT had also placed on record a decision of the house allotment committee taken in December 2022, whereby (type 13) 17 houses (old) and one (new) from the UT administration general pool have been shifted to police pool.

The bench of justice Sandeep Moudgil observed that it was not convinced with the details provided--lists as well as other details, along with particulars of government employees, who have been allotted government accommodation on out of turn basis on the surmise that these police officials are performing special duties in public interests and are attached with the public servants.

Now, the matter has been adjourned for January 9 when the UT’s counsel has to submit details through an affidavit elaborating the working hours of the police officials with duty requiring to work in odd hours of the cops and names of public servants with whom they are posted. The court also sought out of turn house allotments on security concerns.