Court demands report on illegal occupants of official houses

GANDHINAGAR - The Gujarat High Court Tuesday ordered the state government to conduct a survey in Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad to trace out illegal occupants of government-owned accommodation.

A division bench of Chief Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya and Justice Akil Kureshi ordered secretary of the road and building department, Gandhinagar, controller of accommodations, Ahmedabad, and the collector of Gandhinagar to conduct a joint survey to trace out the illegal occupancy in the government owned quarters and bungalows.

The division bench remarked that even though a notice was issued earlier in this case, the state failed to present proper documentation. The chief justice asked the government pleader: “Why nothing has been done even after issuing notice?”

The chief justice has allowed two months’ time to the state government to conduct the survey and has asked the authorities concerned to submit their report in due time mentioning all qualified and non-qualified occupants of government accommodation.

The Gujarat High Court, based on a news report in 1999, initiated suo moto action. The news report stated that family and relatives of highly placed government officials were given such accommodations. The report stated that many government employees reside in such quarters even after they retire from service.

The court has asked the authorities concerned to file their report by July 12 and ordered the registry to list the case within first five cases on the board for that date.