The Supreme Court’s recent judgment striking down a rule framed in Uttar Pradesh for allotting official bungalows to former Chief Ministers for their lifetime is likely to impact the occupants of sprawling bungalows in the posh Civil Lines area of the Rajasthan Capital as well.
On the pattern of Uttar Pradesh, the then Congress government in Rajasthan came up with the idea of giving special privileges to former Chief Ministers in 1999 when it issued a notification for allotting rent-free accommodation to them in Jaipur or at district headquarters of their choice.
Since then, fresh orders have been issued by the State Cabinet Secretariat at least twice – the latest on February 26, 2013 – upgrading the facilities by making new provisions for appointment of staff and rendering the protocol amenities.
As of now, former Chief Ministers in the State enjoy the protocol status equivalent to that of a Cabinet Minister and have the facilities of free official bungalow, government car, free electricity consumption, a private secretary and secretarial and personal staff.
Former Chief Ministers Ashok Gehlot and Jagannath Pahadia, former Minister Golma Devi and the family of former Vice-President, the late Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who was also the State’s Chief Minister three times, continue to occupy sprawling bungalows in Civil Lines here. However, Mr. Gehlot is at present an MLA from Sardarpura constituency of Jodhpur.
A Supreme Court Bench headed by Justice Anil R. Dave had on Monday directed the former Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh to vacate their bungalows in Lucknow within two months after quashing the rules of 1997, holding them illegal and having been framed as a “colourable exercise of power”.
Rajasthan High Court's lawyer A.K. Jain, who has taken up public interest litigations on similar issues in the past, told The Hindu here on Wednesday that the apex court's ruling automatically applies to Rajasthan as well, since the State government had issued identical orders through notifications to extend benefits to the former Chief Ministers.
“We expect the former Chief Ministers in Rajasthan to forthwith vacate their bungalows in compliance with the Supreme Court's verdict. If they don't, we may file a PIL in the High Court or a contempt petition in the Supreme Court,” said Mr. Jain.
