In another setback to eight beneficiaries of more than one flat under the chief minister’s discretionary quota, the Bombay high court on Tuesday refused to grant stay on the eviction notices served to them so that they could challenge the government’s decision before the competent authority.
The petitioners who approached the high court were Kantabai Bohra, Ghansham Mehta, Sachin Vartak, Prashant Zaveri, Rahul Patil, Madhukar Suryavanshi, Anil Vora and Tanaji Mane. The government has asked them to vacate the tenements or face eviction in view of the alleged illegality involved.
The petitioners had urged the high court to protect them from eviction for eight weeks so that they could challenge the government’s decision before a competent authority. They also sought a copy of the Justice J.A. Patil committee report so that they could challenge the order before a competent authority as it involves their houses.
The bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka, however, said it was ready to provide them the report of the committee, but they should make a formal application in this regard. The bench, however, refused to grant relief by prolonging the government action by another eight weeks.
They are facing government action following a report given to the high court by Justice J.A. Patil Committee that had probed double or multiple allotment of flats from the chief minister’s discretionary quota in the last three decades.
A former journalist-turned-social activist had filed a public interest litigation in the high court alleging that many people had been allotted double or multiple flats since 1982 under the CM’s discretionary quota by making false declarations. It said most beneficiaries are politicians or those who are close to them.
While hearing this PIL, the court had, on October 9, 2014, appointed Justice Patil to probe the allegations. The Committee had given its report to the high court on November 24 last year, along with its recommendations and proposed action.
The court had then asked the government to proceed in accordance with law against those who had been allotted flats on more than one occasion and also directed to stop allotting flats under the CM’s quota.
