S Sabaqat
Early Times Report
Srinagar, May 6: The State High Court today ordered constitution of a panel headed by Additional Director General of Police Security to make assessment of threat perception to former ministers, parliamentarians and legislators who had filed petitions before it.
At least fifteen former ministers are among over 40 persons occupying government accommodation without any authorization in Srinagar, director estates department, Dr. Ghulam Nabi Itoo, had informed J&K High Court last month.
Disposing of a number of petitions, a bench of the court comprising Justice Hasnain Massodi ordered state government to constitute the committee comprising members including District Magistrate Srinagar/Jammu, director Estates, SP Security Srinagar/Jammu and any other member co-opted by ADG Security, the head of the panel.
"The committee shall make an objective assessment of the treat perception of each petitioner and in the said background need to allow petitioners to retain present government accommodation in their use or to provide alternate government/hired accommodation," the court said.
The bench said that the committee shall allow petitioners to put forth their stand either in person or through their representative including written representations.
"The committee shall also examine the security cover or number of security personnel required to the petitioners so that they and their dependent family members are not exposed to any threat or risk," the court said.
The committee, the court said, on threadbare examination of the matter shall take its recommendations to state government within two weeks from the receipt of the copy of the order.
The government had allotted accommodation to the petitioners in Srinagar and Jammu to facilitate discharge of their official duties as ministers, parliamentarians and legislators. However after their failure to get re-elected, they were asked to vacate government accommodation so that the ministers or elected legislators who replaced them are allotted such accommodation. However, the petitioners had challenged the government decision mainly on security grounds.
The directorate estate had submitted the list of the sitting and former ministers, MLAs, MLCs and MPs who are under unauthorized occupation of the official accommodation.
He said 39 of the unauthorized occupants include former MLAs, MLCs or MPs while seven present MLAs are entitled to ministerial accommodation they said.
The 39 occupants, include Sakina Itoo, Mir Saifullah , Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Abdul Majid Wani, G A Mir, Nasir Aslam Wani, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed , Syed Bashir Ahmad, Javid Ahmad Dar, Rafi Ahmad Mir, Mohammad Shafi Bhat, Nizamudin Bhat, Ghulam Mohidin Sofi, Sonaullah Dar, Arvind Singh Micky, Khalid Najeeb Soharwardi, Ali Mohammad Bhat, Aga Syed Razvi, Ghulam Rasool Kar and Ghulam Hassan Khan. |
