UP ex-CMs may breathe easy, no eviction from bungalows

Former Uttar Pradesh chief ministers need not have to vacate their government bungalows here with the state Assembly today passing two bills to skirt Supreme Court directive for their eviction within two months.
The Uttar Pradesh Ministers (salaries, allowances and miscellaneous provisions)(Amendment) Bill, 2016 which provides for this facility to former chief ministers for life, was passed by a voice vote.
The bill was introduced after the apex court on August 1 directed six former UP chief ministers to vacate their official bungalows in the state capital in two months and pay the rent at market rate for the period falling under unauthorised occupation.

"A government residence shall be alloted to a former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, at his/her request, for his/her lifetime, on payment of such rent as may be determined from time to time by the Estate Department of the state government," the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill says.
The bill also revises salaries and allowances in view of price rise and escalation in cost of living.
It provides that chief minister and ministers, minister of state with independent charge and minister of state shall be entitled, throughout the term of his office, a salary of Rs 40,000 per month while the deputy minister will get a salary of Rs 35,000 per month.

The other bill - The Allotment of Houses Under Control of the Estate Department Bill, 2016, - seeking to regulate the allotment of government accommodation under the control of the estate department to employees and officers of the state government, employees association, political parties, officers of All India Service, MLAs, MLCs, trusts, ministers, chairman and deputy chairman of Legislative Council, speaker and deputy speaker of Legislative Assembly, Justices and journalists, was also passed by the House.
The ex-CMs who were to be affected by the apex court's directive include Union Home Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh, Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, BSP supremo Mayawati and Congress leaders ND Tiwari and Ram Naresh Yadav. All of them are living in government bungalows in Lucknow.

Earlier, Suresh Khanna and Radha Mohan Das Agarwal (both BJP) suggested sending the proposed legislation to the select committe to deliberate on certain amendments.