It refers to welcome the Supreme Court’s verdict on May 7, 2018, striking down UP legislation to provide post-retirement bungalows to former chief ministers of states. Irony is that none of the political party or their beneficiary former Chief Ministers raised voice against such practice. Rather they also were sinner to avail such lifetime princely facility which was violative of Article 14 of the Constitution demanding equality amongst citizens as rightly discussed in the verdict.
The verdict should be applicable automatically for all states since it is highly unlikely that some other states having made similar facility for their former chief ministers may voluntarily take corrective measures to do away with the nuisance gifted at the cost of state-exchequers. It is also the time that similar practice may be adopted at central level in respect of Presidents, Vice Presidents and Prime Ministers and their spouses as suggested by amicus curiae Gopal Subramanium. Even President of America does not get post-retirement government accommodation.
It is also the time that unethical authorisation of encroachments and trespass of government-bungalows numbering 6, Krishna Menon Marg and 12-14-16 Gurudwara Rakabganj Road at New Delhi in the last days of UPA government by allocating these on long-term lease to trusts for endorsing as memorials for Jagjiwanram and Kashiram in contradiction with cabinet-note of the year 2000 may be quashed. Complete policy of allotment of government-bungalows at Leyton Zone of Delhi may be reviewed to delete allotment to favourites in the name of trusts and otherwise. Rather strict-most action against those responsible in earlier UPA government for such unethical allotments may be taken for an effective check against such immoral anti-public practice.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
