Dehradun, Feb 21 (PTI) A city NGO has urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the pleas of three former chief ministers and the state against the Uttarakhand High Court order to recover market rent of government accommodations occupied by ex-CMs for long after demitting office.
Dehradun’s civil society Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra made its submission on Monday in its counter-affidavit to the four pleas against the high court’s order, NGO’s counsel Kartikey Hari Gupta said.
The matter has been tentatively listed for February 25, he added.
The high court order has been challenged by three former CMs — Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri and Bhagat Singh Koshyari – besides the state government.
The high court has rightly directed the recovery of market rent from former chief ministers as the money was spent from the public exchequer and the expression “appropriate rent” includes the market rent, the civil society said in its affidavit.
When the public money has been illegally spent and the former chief ministers have unlawfully enjoyed the facilities from public money, the only appropriate rent will be the market rent, Gupta added.
Not recovering the market rent and taking only minimal government rent shall amount to unjust enrichment of the former chief ministers, he said.
Extending such facilities to former chief ministers was illegal, he said, adding the counter affidavit seeks dismissal of the pleas against the high court order with costs.
The former chief ministers who have already vacated the government accommodations had offered to pay minimal government rent on account of staying in them on the plea that paying market rent was beyond their capacity. PTI ALM RAX RAX
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Source: The Print
