Express News Service
LUCKNOW: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and his father and party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav moved the Supreme Court seeking time to vacate their official accommodation in Lucknow on Monday.
The petition was filed on behalf of both the leaders in connection with May 7 order of the apex court striking down an amendment in a state legislation allowing former CMs to retain government accommodation even after demitting office.
After being served notice by the state government to ensure compliance of the SC order, the father-son duo had earlier seeking two years’ time from UP government to vacate their official residences and shifting to their private accommodations in Lucknow.
Mulayam had even met CM Yogi Adityanath on may 17 but when ice was not broken, he decided to approach the SC itself.
This comes days after the state government served notices to six former chief ministers, who have been occupying sprawling government bungalows in Lucknow, and asked them to vacate them in 15 days.
As per the spruces, at a meeting convened by the SP leadership in state capital after the SC order, it was decided to get the two bungalows allotted to the two former CMs of SP allotted in the name of leaders of opposition in Assembly and Council – Ram Govind Chaudhary and Ahmad Hassan, respectively-- of SP to retain the properties.
Six former chief ministers who have been asked to vacate the government bungalows include Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, BSP chief Mayawati, ND Tiwari, BJP leaders Rajnath Singh and Kalyan Singh.
The Supreme Court had on May 7, 2018 struck down the amendment to the Uttar Pradesh Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1981 to provide for allotment of government residence to former chief ministers at his/her request for lifetime. Quashing the amendment, the SC had observed that “Section 4(3) of UP Ministers (salaries, allowances & miscellaneous provisions) Act, 2016 is unconstitutional.”
