Former Jammu and Kashmir minister and Dogra Swabhimaan Sangthan Party president Choudhary Lal Singh was on Friday requested to vacate his official residence within the posh Gandhi Nagar locality by November 15.

“The estates department issued an eviction notice to the former minister reminding him that he had been occupying the government accommodation in contravention of the rules. He is also running his party office from the government bungalow. He has been served eviction notices twice so far, but he has not complied with them so far,” mentioned an official.

“In the latest eviction notice, the department told the former minister that they were not satisfied with his response to the last eviction notice and therefore, he has to vacate the government bungalow by November 15,” the official mentioned, including that Lal Singh was allotted the federal government bungalow when he was a minister, however as he was now not an elected public consultant, he had been advised to vacate the lodging.

Jammu and Kashmir doesn’t have an elected authorities since June 19, 2018 when the PDP-BJP authorities collapsed, after the latter pulled out of the alliance over safety issues.

The eviction discover to Lal Singh comes shut on the heels of an analogous discover to PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, who has additionally been requested to vacate her plush Fairview authorities bungalow in Srinagar by November 15.

Choudhary Lal Singh mentioned, “I have paid all my rentals till October 30. How can it be called an unauthorized occupation when I have cleared all my dues and have receipts for he same.”

“From time to time, additionally they conduct repairs and I’ve been residing there for the previous 22 years. I’m a ‘Z’ protectee like union minister Dr Jitendra Singh and there have been assaults on my life. These services have been supplied to me by the house ministry however they’re longer comfy with me after I fashioned my very own occasion (DSSP),” mentioned Singh.

It could also be said right here that a number of former BJP ministers and ex-legislators proceed to occupy authorities bungalows within the twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar. Around two years in the past in December 2020, the Jammu and Kashmir excessive courtroom had additionally taken sturdy exception to the unauthorized occupation of presidency bungalows by former ministers and ex-legislators in J&Okay.

The estates division had then submitted a standing report back to the excessive courtroom and named 89 former ministers and ex-legislators, principally from BJP, who proceed to occupy authorities bungalows, regardless of demitting workplace.