SC stays contempt proceedings against Ramesh Pokhriyal over government bungalow rent dues

Ramesh Pokhriyal had challenged the Uttarakhand high court order that asked former chief ministers of the state to pay rent at market rates for the government bungalows they occupy.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday (October 26) put a hold on contempt action against Union minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank for failing to pay the rent for the government bungalow he was staying in.

The bench headed by Justice RF Nariman stayed the contempt proceedings on the plea that the Education minister filed. 

On May 3, 2019, the Uttarakhand high court had ordered the former chief ministers of the state to pay the rent of the government accommodation during the entire period of their reign. The government orders from 2001 for offering accommodation including other amenities to the former chief ministers are declared as illegal and unconstitutional by the high court.

The high court ordered that the amenities (like electricity, water, gas, oil, and lubricants) which were given by the state to former chief ministers should be determined by the state within four months since the receipt of the copy of the order.

A Dehradun-based NGO passed the plea of the order given by the high court. The NGO had filed the plea, claiming violation of the order.

This year, in August, the Uttarakhand high court issued show-notices to three former chief ministers and one state chief secretary for not clearing the dues for facilities used for years by the state’s ex-CMs, as mentioned in the order. Among those former chief ministers' names in the petition, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank is one of them.