Former UP Chief Ministers Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav have started vacating the government bungalows in Lucknow as the June 3 deadline approaches. According to reports, vehicles were seen leaving the residences of both the former CMs.
The estate department of Uttar Pradesh government had on May 18 served a notice to 6 former CMs to vacate the government allocated bungalows they had been occupying. They are namely, Kalyan Singh, Rajnath Singh, ND Tiwari, Mayawati, Akhilesh and Mulayam Singh Yadav. This was after a 7th May Supreme Court order on a PIL filed by an NGO Lokprahari. So far only 2 of the former CMs, namely Rajnath Singh and Kalyan Singh have vacated their bungalows.
As reported earlier, both Akhilesh and Mulayam had moved to the Supreme Court seeking two years time to vacate their bungalows but the SC is reportedly yet to provide them with any relief and the deadline for vacating expires on June 3rd. While Akhilesh had cited that he has no residence to move into and he has not been able to find a property on rent so far, his father Mulayam had given the excuse that none of his houses could accommodate his huge security staff and guests he receives every day.
As the Supreme Court did not allow them any relief, both father and son are now reportedly vacating their respective bungalows. They were, however, not the only ex-CMs giving excuses to retain their bungalows. Former CM ND Tiwari is reportedly yet to vacate his bungalow too and his wife had requested CM Yogi Adityanath to allow her to stay as her husband is undergoing treatment in Delhi. A signboard reading ‘Pandit Narayan Dutt Tiwari Sarvajan Vikas Foundation’ has reportedly appeared on the Mall Avenue bungalow allocated to Tiwari.
Former CM and BSP chief Mayawati has also reportedly tried a similar manoeuvre. As per reports, she has renamed the 13, Mall Avenue house as ‘Kanshiram Memorial Vishram Sthal’. On Wednesday she reportedly sent the keys of her other residence at Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg to the UP government authorities via speed post and insisting that the Mall Avenue house was allocated to Kanshi Ram memorial. Indian Express quoted UP estate department officer Yogesh Kumar Shukla as saying that Mayawati was allocated the Mall Avenue bungalow as former CM and she should vacate it.
