Adhir seeks three more days to vacate bungalow

New Delhi, Feb 3: Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday, Feb 3 sought two or three days' time to shift to the new, smaller accommodation allotted to him on Humayun Road here after the Delhi High Court refused to stay his eviction from his ministerial bungalow at New Moti Bagh here.

Authorities had started the eviction process yesterday and disconnected the water and electricity connection to the New Moti Bagh bungalow.

Chowdhury, a former UPA minister, moved court against the eviction order and attempted to get it stayed by Delhi High Court which, however, did not interfere with the disconnection of utilities and ordered status quo till February 3 morning when it was going to hear the matter.

"Since his petition has been dismissed, he has written to us seeking two-three days' time for shifting his belongings to his new house on Humayun Road," said a senior Urban Development Ministry official.

The Lok Sabha MP from Murshidabad, who is also the chief of West Bengal Congress Committee, has been allotted a type-VI bungalow at C-1/4 Humayun Road.

According to the Directorate of Estate, Chowdhury was overstaying at the 14, New Moti Bagh residence for 19 months since the cancellation of his allotment on June 27, 2014 by the Urban Development Ministry after he had ceased to be a Minister in the Union Council of Ministers.

As a Member of Lok Sabha, Chowdhury is entitled to a Type- VI accommodation. He was allotted an alternative accommodation at C-1/99, Moti Bagh, by the House Committee of Lok Sabha in January, 2015.

However, the new allotment was not acceptable to him. Subsequently, he was allotted an independent bungalow at C1\77, Moti Bagh (Type-6B) on June 1, 2015, but that too was not accepted by the MP. Chowdhury was again allotted a bungalow at C-1/4, Humayun Road, on November 3, 2015 and, after inspection and certification by CPWD, was requested on December 23, 2015, to vacate the Type-8 bungalow and move into the Humayun Road bungalow within 15 days to avoid accumulation of damages and contempt of court.

A reminder was also issued to NDMC for disconnection of water and electricity connection to the New Moti Bagh house.

Chowdhury moved high court against eviction on January 29 this year and the same was dismissed by the High Court on February 1, 2016.

Chowdhury yesterday filed an LPA (Letter Patents Appeal) before another bench against the order of a single bench which was dismissed today.

PTI