Mayawati vacates one bungalow following Supreme Court's eviction order, says officials refuse to accept possession

Mayawati’s personal secretary said that the house was vacated on Tuesday itself and the Estate officer was duly informed through a written intimation.
BSP chief Mayawati (File | PTI)
BSP chief Mayawati (File | PTI)

LUCKNOW: In a late Wednesday evening development in the issue of eviction of former CMs from government bungalows following Supreme Court order, BSP chief Mayawati claimed that she had vacated accommodation allotted to her at 6, Lal Bahadur Shatri Marg but the estate department officials were refusing to accept the possession of the bungalow.

Earlier, the BSP chief had claimed that 6, Lal Bahadur Shastri marg bungalow was her official residence in Lucknow instead of 13-A, Mall Avenue, for which she had been served an eviction notice. She had written to the UP CM that 13 A Mall Avenue was converted into Kanshiram Memorial by a government order during her regime in 2011.

According to statement released to media, Mewa Lal Gautam, Mayawati’s personal secretary, said that the house was vacated on Tuesday itself and the Estate officer was duly informed through a written intimation.

“However, since the estate officer refused to have received the copy of the letter along with the keys of the bungalow, they were sent to him through speed post which have been duly received by his office on May 30, 2018,” said Gautam.

He added that the RSA’s staff had also asked BSP to contact PWD’s junior engineer on Wednesday afternoon as he was authorized to take possession of the bungalow.

“However, when the junior engineer was contacted on Wednesday at the prescribed time in his office, he refused to receive the letter of request to take possession and also refused to take possession of the bungalow stating that he has been instructed to do so by the RSA,” Gautam said, adding, subsequently, a set of keys to and a letter addressed to the JE were despatched to him through speed post on Wednesday.

On May 25, Mayawati, through BSP MP SC Mishra, had sent a representation to chief minister Yogi Adityanath, claiming that the 13-A, Mall Avenue bungalow for which she had been served a notice of eviction, had been converted to a memorial for party founder Kanshi Ram in 2011. In lieu of this bungalow, Mayawati had been allocated the one on 6, LBS Marg. This was done on December 23, 2011 when Mayawati was UP CM.

Government officials, however, said that though 13 A Mall Avenue was shown as a Memorial Trust on paper, it has been allotted to Mayawati and would be taken back in compliance of the order of the apex court.

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