The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) has rejected a plea challenging the occupation of a government house in Chandigarh by Tej Parkash Singh, son of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.
the bench of chief justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and justice Rohit Kapoor observed that the UT administration had taken a “conscious decision” after considering the threat perception and intelligence inputs, and the case was distinguishable from those covered by the Supreme Court (SC)’s directions While rejecting the petition.
The SC’s general directions against retention of government accommodation by government servants could not be invoked to question the administration’s decision to allow him to continue in the house on security grounds, it added. Subsequently, it came to be allotted to the family of the late CM. The application was filed in a public interest litigation (PIL) relating to the upkeep of government houses in the city. “It is not in dispute that, pursuant to the directions issued by the SC, the Chandigarh administration had initially cancelled the allotment. The court also asked the chief engineer, UT administration, to file a personal affidavit explaining as to why requisite repairs have not been carried out in government houses allotted to HC employees.
One Kulwant Singh filed an application in HC against continued occupation of the house claiming that the family is still occupying the house even as the allotment was cancelled in 2020. The court posted the matter for further hearing on November 6 and directed that the necessary repairs be undertaken on priority basis and that same be intimated to the court.
However, upon receipt of a representation from the occupant and after considering the inputs received from the intelligence agencies, the competent authority reconsidered the matter and arrived at a different conclusion,” it said adding that there is no merit in the application.
