SC grants 4 months to UP Chief Secy to get govt bungalows vacated

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted four months time to the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh to implement an order passed in August 2016 regarding evacuation of government bungalows.

The court has also sought a status report from the state government after the same time.

While many government bungalows, including those occupied by five former chief ministers of the state have been already vacated, some trusts remain in possession of the government bungalows.

Former IAS officer and petitioner Satya Narain Shukla, general secretary of Uttar Pradesh based non-governmental organisation Lok Prahari, asserted that there are bungalows occupied by three trusts which are yet to be vacated, while one bungalow was reallocated to Lohia Trust.

The apex court today passed these orders while hearing a contempt plea filed by Lok Prahari. The plea sought contempt action against the authorities by contending that despite the top court's judgement on August 1, 2016, the trusts and other organisations have not vacated them.

Shukla, a retired civil servant, argued the case on behalf of the Lok Prahari. The petition pleaded against the allotment of government bungalows to the former chief ministers and other non-eligible organisations. The respondents in the case included both Uttar Pradesh and the Union Territories of India besides others.