Give list of people who got more than 1 flat under CM’s quota: HC

The Bombay high court on Tuesday directed the state government to submit a list of people who have been allotted more than one flat under the chief minister’s discretionary quota.

The Bombay high court on Tuesday directed the state government to submit a list of people who have been allotted more than one flat under the chief minister’s discretionary quota.

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“Submit a list of all those cases where more than one flat has been allotted within a family — to the same person or spouse or blood relative of the person to whom a flat was already allotted,” division bench of justice Sharad Bobde and justice Mridula Bhatkar directed public prosecutor Pandurang Pol.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by former journalist Ketan Tirodkar alleging that more than one flat had been allotted under various government housing schemes, especially under the chief minister’s discretionary quota, to several political leaders and bureaucrats or their close relatives.

In his PIL, Tirodkar had listed ten sample cases where politicians and their immediate family members have been allotted two flats by allegedly flouting rules. The PIL sought directions for initiating a probe and consequently criminal proceedings against those involved in the scam.

“We see some substance in what the petitioner is saying,” the judges said.

The court has now directed the government to submit the list by April 24, when the PIL will come up for further hearing.

“The list should also indicate whether the government had conducted an inquiry before allotting the second flat to those persons who already owned flats in the city or to whom flats had already been allotted through the discretionary quota,” the judges said.