Srinagar: More than 10 former ministers and ex-legislators of the BJP are among the politicians who are “unauthorisedly” residing in ministerial bungalows and quarters in Jammu and Kashmir. This revelation assumes more significance as it comes closes on the heels of the BJP’s concerted campaign targeting the leaders of regional parties in Kashmir for “benefitting” from the Roshini land law.
The details of “illegal occupants” of government accommodation have come to the fore after Jammu and Kashmir’s estates’ department filed an affidavit in the high court.According to the affidavit submitted by the estates’ department on October 2, a number of politicians, including former ministers, are residing in government properties as of September 2, beyond the period of the allotment.
The department further submitted that it has taken up the matter with the home department to ascertain whether they need accommodation for security reasons.“Once the comments of the home department are received, appropriate action in the matter will be taken,” reads the affidavit submitted by Muhammad Alyas Khan, deputy director estates.
Going by the rulebook, former ministers or legislators are not entitled to government accommodation in normal circumstances.The list of “unauthorised” occupants includes politicians from different parties, including BJP, National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), among others.
Apart from Kavinder Gupta, another five BJP leaders who were ministers in the last elected government of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir are residing in government bungalows and quarters, the affidavit reveals.They are Sunil Sharma, Shakti Raj Parihar, Sat Sharma, Sukhnandan Choudhary and Bali Baghat.Former lawmakers from the party in the list include Neelam Langeh (ex-MLA), Daleep Singh Parihar (ex-MLA), R. S. Pathania (ex-MLA), Rajesh Gupta ( ex-MLA), Vibodh Gupta (ex-MLC), Pradeep Sharma (ex-MLC), Ashok Khajuria (ex-MLC), and Vikram Randhwa (ex-MLC).Apart from former ministers and legislators, a few of its lower-rung leaders are also residing in government accommodation.
Leaders from other political parties including National Conference, PDP, Congress, Apni Party, Peoples Conference and Panthers Party also figure in the list.According to the estates’ department, the family of late G.M. Shah (former chief minister), Choudhary Lal Singh (former minister), G.M. Saroori (former minister), Muhammad Shafi Uri (former MLA), Vikar Rasool Wani (former MLA), Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar (former MLA), Zafar Iqbal Manhas (former MLC), Prof. Bhim Singh (former MLC, sub-judice), Ravinder Sharma (former MLC, sub-judice), Tariq Ahmed Keen (politician), Muhammad Sultan Mandoo (politician), Wazira Begum (district president, Congress), Shilpi Verma (politician), Hasina(politician), Shafiq Mir (chairman, Panchyat Conference), and Manohar Lal (general secretary, BJP) are residing in government quarters at Jammu “unauthorisedly”.
