Consequent to the notice served on them by the Government Estate Department, former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh have begun packing their bags to move to their private residence.
Six ex-chief ministers had been served notice by the Estate Department to vacate the sprawling government bungalows under their occupation within 15 days of the notice being served. The chief ministers are veteran Congress leader Narain Dutt Tewari, union home minister Rajnath Singh, Rajasthan governor Kalyan Singh, Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati , Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and SP president Akhilesh Yadav. The notice follows a Supreme Court order directing the former chief ministers to vacate the government accommodations.
The first to take a step in this direction has been Rajnath Singh who was occupying 4 Kalidas Marg. The process of vacating the bungalow had begun as soon as the notice was served. The home minister is scheduled to shift to his private residence in Vipul Khand in Gomtinagar where his belongings are being shifted. Renovation work is currently underway and he is expected to shift much before the 15-day deadline expires. Rajnath will now be living in this house whenever he comes to his constituency, Lucknow.
BSP president Mayawati will also shift to her private bungalow at 9 Mall Avenue which is a stone throw’s distance from her current address at 13-A Mall Avenue. This property has now been rehabilitated into the Manyawar Kanshi Ram Vishramalaya Sthal which houses a library and a museum. The house in which Mayawati will shift had been purchased by her when she stormed to power with full majority in 2007.
Mulayam Singh Yadav who has been occupying his official bungalow on 5 Vikramaditya Marg since 1991 is still hunting for a house. Reports said that he had seen some houses but they failed to measure upto his expectations. The SP patriarch is living in his present accommodation with his wife Sadhana Yadav and younger son Prateek Yadav and daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav.
Akhilesh Yadav who lives on 4 Vikramaditya Marg, a house adjacent to that of his father has reportedly sought more time from the Estate department.
Kalyan Singh is also amenable to the Estate Department’s directive. He will be reportedly shifting to his grandson Sandeep Singh’s residence. Sandeep is presently a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government.
The Estate department is in a fix over ND Tewari, given that he is ailing and is hospitalised in New Delhi.