india

Updated: Sep 07, 2019 02:16 IST

Uttarakhand governor Baby Rani Maurya has given assent to an ordinance that provides for many free facilities to former chief ministers and exempts them from paying rent at market rate for the bungalows allotted by the government.

The Uttarakhand Former Chief Minister Facility (Residential and other facilities) Ordinance, 2019 has come as a relief to former CMs -- Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, late ND Tiwari and Vijay Bahuguna -- who were directed by the Uttarakhand high court to pay the pending rent of ₹2.8 crore.

On May 3, HC had directed former CMs to pay the market rent for the buildings occupied by them within six months, failing which the government was entitled to initiate recovery proceedings.

The ordinance, passed by the cabinet last month and assented by the Governor on Thursday, will be deemed to have come into force from November 9, 2000 up to March 31, 2019, after which no former CM will be entitled to allotment of government residence and facilities.

Government spokesman Madan Kaushik said gazette notification on the ordinance would be done a week. Kartikey Hari Gupta, advocate of Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra, said the ordinance was promulgated to override HC directions.