CM Bungalow Row: Supreme Court directs UP government to submit report

New Delhi, July 23 The Supreme Court on Monday coordinated the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government to present a report on account of former chief ministers of the state not abandoning government allotted bungalows.

The apex court's three-judge seat, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra and comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, has settled the issue for further hearing after four weeks.

The petition was filed by a Non-Governmental Organization, Lok Prahari, which looked for hatred against the those who had allegedly defied the top court's request.

This comes after former chief ministers, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav had on July 12 withdrawn their petitions from the Supreme Court, looking for proper time to vacate their official bungalows.

The lawyer, who was appearing on behalf of the father-son duo, asked the bench to dispose off their appeal to as the former chief ministers have already vacated the government bungalows.

The top court had earlier quashed the law passed by the UP government in 2016, granting permanent residential accommodation to former chief ministers.

While striking down the law, the Supreme Court said that Section 4(3) of Uttar Pradesh Ministers (pay rates, remittances and random arrangements) Act, 2016 was unlawful.

The law was challenged by Lok Prahari in the top court. The solicitor had guaranteed that the UP government had no power to give bungalows to former chief ministers of the state.

Hence, the top court on May 7 passed an order to abolish a law that allowed former chief ministers of the state to stay in government bungalows throughout their lives.

Following this, the estate department had issued notification to six former chief ministers - Narayan Dutt Tiwari, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Kalyan Singh, Mayawati, Rajnath Singh and Akhilesh Yadav.