Delhi HC orders Centre to get illegally occupied govt bungalows vacated

Rebuking the Housing Ministry for permitting over 550 government accommodation units to be illegally occupied by retired officials, the Delhi High Court Wednesday directed the Centre to get them vacated within two weeks.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar said allowing illegal occupation of government accommodation for several years amounts to "connivance and conspiracy".

The bench also directed the government to recover lakhs of rupees in dues owed by the illegal occupants.

The court said if there is any stay by a court or tribunal against vacation of the government accommodation then such orders be followed, else such accommodation be vacated forthwith.

It also imposed a cost of Rs 10,000 on the Ministry of Housing secretary.

The high court had on January 17 asked the Centre how many government bungalows were being occupied by people who are no longer MPs, MLAs or bureaucrats and for what duration.

The direction was in connection with an earlier PIL claiming that several official residences for MPs, MLAs and bureaucrats were being allegedly illegally occupied by those who were no longer holding the offices.