AAP leader Bhagwant Mann became the Chief Minister of Punjab on 16th March, and had resigned from Lok Sabha two days before that, but he still continues to occupy the govt accommodation he was allotted in Delhi as a Lok Sabha MP. As he has not vacated the accommodation on North Avenue in Raisina Hill even though he is no longer an MP, the Lok Sabha secretariat has asked the estates officer to initiate eviction proceedings against him for unauthorized occupation of a Central government accommodation in New Delhi.
Bhagwant Mann of AAP was elected from the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency of Punjab in the 17th Lok Sabha in 2019. He resigned as Sangrur MP to become the chief minister of Punjab in March 2022.
The secretariat has put a petition before the estates’ officer and it says in the petition that Mann was allotted the Central government’s Duplex No 33, North Avenue, along with its units and 153 North Avenue, as his regular accommodation as a member of 17th Lok Sabha. The petition further says, “The said allotment stands canceled in his name with effect from April 14 and Mann failed to vacate the premises. The occupation of the building by the former MP after April 13 is unauthorized.”
The petition sent to the estates’ officer further reads, “It is, therefore requested the proceedings for eviction of Bhagwan Mann, ex-MP and all persons may be initiated and orders for their eviction be passed.”
Even after the secretariat asked the estates officer to start the eviction proceedings, there has been no immediate reaction available from the Punjab chief minister’s office regarding this issue. According to the official documents, this residence is now allotted to Hanuman Beniwal, the RLP president and an MP from Rajasthan.
The Duplex flats at the North Avenue are newly constructed houses to be allotted to members of the parliament. 36 such houses were inaugurated by PM Modi in August 2019. The flats were constructed in place of old bungalows constructed in 1951-52, which had become very old and needed frequent maintenance. Around 400 such flats with modern amenities are being built by replacing old houses on North Avenue and South Avenue, along with the Central Vista redevelopment project that includes construction of a new parliament house, which is nearing completion.
Residential accommodation in the national capital is provided to Central government employees, MPs, judges, and other dignitaries while they are in service and posted in Delhi. As and when their tenure is completed or terminated for some reason prematurely, they become ineligible to occupy the accommodation. As per PRS Legislative, to evict a person from a residential accommodation, a Central government estate officer first issues a written notice to the individual concerned, after which he/she has to show cause within three working days as to why an eviction notice should not be issued against them.
It is notable that Aam Aadmi Party won a thumping majority in the recent Punjab assembly elections and Bhagwant Mann was sworn in as the chief minister of the border state.
