Jammu & Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina and DPAP leader Ghulam Nabi Azad are among several former ministers and legislators who are unauthorizedly occupying government houses in Jammu and Kashmir.
Many BJP leaders figure in the status report that has been submitted in the High Court by the Union Territory’s (UT) estates department in response to a public interest litigation.
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A public spirited lawyer Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed in the PIL submitted before the court that as many as 53 persons were continuing to occupy government houses although they have ceased to hold any constitutional or official position in the government.
Former deputy chief minister (BJP) Kavinder Gupta, former mayor (BJP) Chander Mohan Gupta, former BJP chief Sat Sharma and several other party leaders figure in the list.
CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, Congress spokesman Ravinder Sharma, Peoples Conference leader Sajad Gani Lone and former National Conference minister Abdul Rahim Rather are also in the list of unauthorised occupants.
Meanwhile, expressing dismay over the Lt. Governor’s administration allowing leaders of BJP and its ally parties to occupy fully furnished government houses in Jammu and Srinagar, Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh on Friday described it as a “loot of taxpayers’ money”.
Singh questioned the silence of vigilante organizations including CBI, ED and ACB over the violation of rules and guidelines in the matter of allotment of government accommodation to these persons who were enjoying the privilege of not only government bungalows but also police security for them.
