India Today: New Delhi: Monday, May 22, 2017.
As many as
675 government houses in the national capital are under illegal occupation, and
in many cases, for months and years after the death of the employees who were
originally allotted these accommodations.
Besides, 38
houses meant for officers at levels from Senior Section Officer to Joint
Secretary are also under illegal occupation.
Of the 675
houses, 555 belong to Type 1, 2 and 3 categories -- usually alloted to peons
and junior level staff -- and 120 are Type 4 houses -- alloted to junior clerks
and section officers -- the Urban Development Ministry said in reply to an RTI
query.
These houses
have been illegally occupied for periods ranging from a few days and months to
even years, after the death and retirement of the original allottees who were
entitled to get accommodation, according to the ministry.
To check
illegal occupation of government accommodation by Members of Parliament and
government employees, the Union Cabinet had on Wednesday given the nod to
changes in the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971,
to empower officials to evict such people within three days of their overstay.
Even senior
bureaucrats continue to occupy houses illegally. Of these houses, a total of 16
are Type-4S, alloted to Senior Section and Under Secretary-level officers, 11
are Type 5A (Deputy Secretary to Director-level) and seven belong to the 5B
category (meant for senior Director-level to below Joint Secretary-level), the
ministry said.
There are
also four illegally occupied houses of 6A type, which are usually alloted to
officers of the Joint Secretary-level, it said in reply to the RTI application
filed by Delhi college student Aniket Gaurav.
The
government has referred to litigation in all these cases of unauthorised
occupation, the Urban development Ministry said.
The changes
in the Act also seek to debar such occupants to move any court below the high
court with their appeals for overstay.
Currently, it
takes around a month to issue the vacation orders after issuing notices and
hearing out the occupants.
Once the
vacation order is issued, time of up to 30 days is granted to the occupants for
leaving the premises.
In between,
the occupants usually move the courts, especially the lower courts, to get a
stay order.
With the
amendments, the process will end in three days.
The
amendments seek to empower Estate Officers to send notices and such occupants
need to reply within first three days of their overstay. The officer could
issue an eviction order with immediate effect if not satisfied with the reply,
as per an Urban Development Ministry official.
If such
persons fail to comply with the order, the officers could use force to vacate
the premises, he said.
The
amendments will fast-track the removal of unauthorised occupants and increase
the availability of residential accommodations for wait-listed persons. PTI