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Delhi HC pulls up govt for allotting accomodation to Priyanka

The Delhi high court today expressed displeasure over the manner in which ''ineligible VVIPs'', including the late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's daughter Priyanka, were allotted government accommodation.

Hearing a public interest petition challenging the allotment of government accommodation to Priyanka, a division bench comprising Justice Mahinder Narain and S K Mahajan directed the central government to submit the guidelines on the basis of which such allotments were made.

The judges said the guidelines were necessary as the court wanted to know how ''ineligible persons'' became eligible for such allotments.

The bench asked central government counsel K C Mittal to submit a copy of the guidelines within four weeks and adjourned the case to January 22.

Though the government affidavit filed in this regard stated that Priyanka was eligible for type-VI accommodation, in reality she was living in a type-VII flat, the court said, asking the counsel to explain the reasons for such an allotment.

The petitioner 'Hamsafar' had contended that the allotment was in violation of all prescribed rules and guidelines.

The court also asked the Centre how much more time it required to introduce the new housing policy.

Though the Supreme Court asked the government to frame the new policy five years ago, the policy is not ready to date, the court said.

The judges said the government should decided the timeframe, and inform the court of the same.

When Mittal submitted that the apex court did not set any specific timeframe for framing the policy, the judges said, ''So, does that mean that it is an indefinite period and you will not take any decision?''

Expressing concern over the manner in which government houses in the capital were being turned into memorials, the court said, ''The way things are going, there will be no residential flats in the capital soon. There will only be memorials.''

UNI

EARLIER REPORT:
Delhi high court takes serious view of 'arbitrary' property allotments

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