Public servants extending their stay in govt accommodations would attract penalty: HC
Delhi High Court on Friday said public servants overstaying in government accommodation would attract charges.
New Delhi, Dec 2: Coming down heavily on public servants who retain their government accommodation beyond the allotted, the Delhi High Court on Friday said such "unauthorised occupation" would attract charges.
The HC has also directed the Centre to initiate recovery proceedings against such allottees.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal said," If the allottee retains the government accommodation beyond the retention period permitted to him/her by the Directorate of Estates, he/she will be liable to pay the licence fee at damages rates for the period of unauthorised occupation and thus, the government may initiate recovery proceedings against the allottee under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act."
Public servants who retain their government accommodations beyond the retention period will have to pay charges: Delhi High Court
— ANI (@ANI_news) December 2, 2016
The
bench
gave
the
order
while
rejecting
the
plea
of
an
army
officer
who
had
appealed
against
a
single
judge's
verdict
upholding
an
Estate
Officer's
direction
to
vacate
his
accommodation
and
pay
Rs.
9.4
lakhs
as
damages
for
unauthorised
use
and
occupation
of
his
official
accommodation
from
July
2008
to
July
2011.
The petitioner had joined the Indian Army in December 1984 and in 2001 he was allotted the accommodation here when he was serving at the Headquarter of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
In May 2008, he was transferred out of and Delhi and was asked to vacate his accommodation in two months. The Estate Officer had proceeded against him and directed him to vacate the premises.
(With inputs from agencies)