Notwithstanding the Supreme Court order, former Uttar Pradesh chief ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav appear not very keen on leaving the official bungalows allotted to them.
While the BSP has declared the official residence occupied by its supremo Maywati as a memorial for party founder Kanshi Ram, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has sought two years' time to vacate the premises, arguing he does not have other place where he could live with his kind of security cover.
The development comes despite the Supreme Court earlier this month ordering that former chief ministers cannot occupy their official residences after demitting offices, and a Uttar Pradesh government notification on May 17 asking the ex-CMs to vacate their official bungalows within 15 days.
As Mayawati makes preparations to shift to a new house, a board came today up on the government bungalow which she currently occupies, declaring it as Sri Kanshi Ram Ji Yadgar Vishram Sthal.
The BSP supremo currently lives in the sprawling 13 A Mall Avenue bungalow, in her capacity as a former chief minister of the state, and she has decided to move to another one just across the road to the 9, Mall Avenue, which she purchased in 2010.
This morning, however , the party got a new board on the 13-A building declaring it 'Sri Kanshiram ji Yadgar Vishram Sthal' (Sri Kanshi Ramji Memorial Rest House). The board also carries a picture of BSP ideologue Kanshi Ram.
Explaining reasons behind the move, a senior BSP functionary said the bungalow has been associated with party founder Kanshi Ram in several ways. He claimed it was allotted in the name of Kanshi Ram and that is why the board has been put up.
However, when contacted, a senior officer in the Estate Department said, "As per our knowledge, the bungalow was allotted to Mayawati in her capacity as a former CM. But since a board has come up there in the name of Kanshi Ramji, we will look into our records."
Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav today wrote a letter to the State Estate Officer, saying he be allowed to live in his 4, Vikramaditya Marg residence for two more years as he does not have any alternative suitable residential premises to accommodate the security he enjoys as a former chief minister.
"The administration has also provided me Z-plus security cover (including NSG commandoes) for which I need adequate space. Being the current national president of Samajwadi Party, I have various visitors," Yadav has written in the letter, arguing why he should be allowed to retain the bungalow for two more years.
The Supreme Court had on May 7 said former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh cannot retain government accommodation after demitting office, observing that a CM was at par with a common man once his or her term ends.
Following the order, the Uttar Pradesh government on May 17 issued notices to six former chief ministers to vacate their official bungalows. The notices sent by the Estate Department has asked them to vacate their bungalows in 15 days, a senior official said.
Those served notices included Narayan Dutt Tiwari, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Kalyan Singh, Mayawati, Rajnath Singh and Akhilesh Yadav.
"The party chief (Mayawati) will vacate the government accommodation well before the 15 days given by the state's Estate Department," the BSP functionary added.
Former UP chief minister Rajnath Singh, currently the Union Home Minister, has made the first move to shift to his private house in the Gomti Nagar area, the other former CM Akhilesh Yadav has sought more time for vacating the government accommodation.
All these former chief minister currently occupy prime government properties in the high-security VVIP zone in the state capital.
The Supreme Court was hearing a petition filed by NGO Lok Prahari, challenging the amendments made by the erstwhile Akhilesh Yadav government to the UP Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1981, which entitled former chief ministers to retain government bungalows for a lifetime.
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