Top court seeks Uttar Pradesh government response

New Delhi: The SC on Thursday questioned the Uttar Pradesh government for enacting a law to provide for bungalows to former chief ministers, including the present home minister Rajnath Singh, Ms Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav. A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R. Banumathi asked the State to file its response within a week and posted the matter for further hearing on January 11. The petition was filed by Lok Prahari, NGO, through Satya Narain Shukla pointing out that former CMs continued to occupy the houses as the State had enacted a law after the apex court struck down certain provisions.

Mr Shukla submitted that Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan governments had also come out with legislations to provide accommodation to former Chief Ministers citing that the Centre had enacted a law to grant accommodation to former PMs and Presidents. Mr Shukla pointed out that the Rajasthan law provided for personal staff, car and free travel to former chief ministers. The Bench however, said it would deal only with the UP law, which is the subject matter in the present petition.