Former CMs will have to pay market rent for govt houses: Uttarakhand HC

Uttarakhand High Court on Tuesday ruled against state law that allows former chief ministers to stay in government bungalows without paying market rent.

Declaring Uttarakhand Former Chief Ministers Facility Act 2019 as 'ultra vires', Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice RC Khulbeare of high court say provisions of Act are in violation of Article 14 (right to equality) and doctrine of separation of powers enshrined in Constitution, petitioner's counsel Kartikey Hari Gupta said. Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RELK), a Dehrun-based NGO, h challenged provisions of Act.

state government h brought an ordinance to introduce Act which was challenged by RLEK in high court on ground that it was unconstitutional as it h been issued with sole purpose of overruling an earlier judgment of high court asking former CMs to pay market rent for government houses allotted to m.

former chief ministers will w be liable to pay rent and state can also recover from m money spent over or facilities given to m, petitioner's counsel said.