Six UP ex-CMs told to vacate bungalows in 15 days time

Lucknow: Exactly a day after Samajwadi patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav met UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath regarding the Supreme Court order for all former chief ministers to vacate their bungalows, the state government issued notices to six former chief ministers to vacate their bungalows within 15 days.

The former chief ministers who have been served notices are Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Rajnath Singh, Kalyan Singh, Mayawati and N.D. Tiwari.

The notices were served late on Thursday night and an estate department official said that if anyone refuses to accept the notice, the same will be pasted on the gate.

According to sources, during his meeting with the chief minister, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav had suggested that the bungalows occupied by him and Akhilesh Yadav could be allotted to Mr Ram Govind Chaudhary and Ahmed Hasan, who are Leaders of the Oppo-sition in the Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Paris-had, respectively. Both these leaders belong to the Samajwadi Party.

The Supreme Court had earlier this month said former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh cannot retain government accommodation after demitting office and observed that a chief minister was at par with a common man once his or her term ends.

As per the notices, the former chief ministers will have to vacate their palatial bungalows by June 3.

While Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mr Akhilesh Yadav have their bungalows on Vikaramaditya Marg, Mr Rajnath Singh’s bungalow is on Kalidas Marg. The bungalows allotted to Ms Mayawati, Mr Kalyan Singh and Mr N.D. Tiwari are in Mall Avenue.

Mr Rajnath Singh is Union home minister, while Mr Kalyan Singh is the governor of Rajasthan. Mr N.D. Tiwari is in a hospital in Delhi due to health issues.

The court was hearing a petition filed by NGO Lok Prahari, challenging the amendments made by the erstwhile Akhilesh Yadav government to the UP Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1981.

In a related development, the chief minister on Thursday night also removed two of his secretarial staff who had allegedly informed the former chief ministers about the impending notices and then leaked the information to the media.