Show cause notices to parties for defaulting in rent payment

Mumbai, Nov 7 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today issued show cause notices to various political parties, which have offices located in the Public Works Department (PWD) barracks near Mantralaya, for defaulting in the payment of rent, with the total outstanding dues running into lakhs of rupees.

The state has admitted before the High Court that Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has not stayed the recovery of the rent from these political parties.

The Public Works Department had, earlier, filed an affidavit before the court stating that although the political parties, including Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Republican Party of India, owed huge amounts as rent, the Chief Minister had stayed the collection of the same.

State a dvocate General Ravi Kadam, however, told the division bench comprising justices F I Rebeillo and Anoop Mohta today that the affidavit, submitted on October 20, is wrong and needs to be rectified.

The court issued the show cause notices on a petition filed by Krantikari Jaihind Sena, a political party which was refused premises by the PWD on the allegation that other parties had defaulted in paying rent since 1970 and had still not evicted.

The political parties have been asked to file their replies by December 4.

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