Over a month after getting notice to vacate the official bungalow, former Chief Minister and People's Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mehboob Mufti vacated her Gupkar residence on Monday and shifted to a private house.
PDP spokesperson, Najam-Us-Saqib said Mehbooba Mufti has vacated the Gupkar residence today and has shifted to a private residence in the Khimber locality. The bungalow was allotted to her father late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as a former Chief Minister in December 2005.
The bungalow was allotted to Mufti Mohammad Sayeed when he relinquished the chief minister's office as part of an agreement with Congress and Ghulam Nabi Azad became chief minister of J&K. Notice was served to Mehbooba on October 15 to vacate the official bungalow.
As per the notice issued on October 15, Deputy Director Estates Department Kashmir served an eviction order to Mehbooba Mufti to vacate the Fairview residence in which her family has lived since 2005.
Jammu and Kashmir administration had asked Mehbooba Mufti to vacate her official residence on the high-profile Gupkar road in Srinagar and had stated it was willing to provide an alternative accommodation.
Asked to vacate Anantnag accommodation also
Mehbooba Mufti was not only asked to vacate Fairview residence of Srinagar but a notice has also been issued to her along with other seven former legislators to quit Government residential quarters in Anantnag district within 24 hours or face disciplinary action.
On Sunday, the Executive Magistrate First Class served the eviction notice to Mufti and others on the instructions of the Anantnag Deputy Commissioner for the Government quarters located in Housing Colony at Khanabal in the south Kashmir area.
The notifications were sent to ex-MLAs Mohammad Altaf Wani, Abdul Rahim Rather, Abdul Majeed Bhat, Altaf Shah, and Abdul Kabir Pathan, as well as ex-MLCs Bashir Shah and Choudhary Nizamuddin.
Perks, privileges of former CMs of J&K withdrawn in 2020
Former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir lost all perks after the Centre repealed or amended 138 legislations of the erstwhile state in April 2020.
The central government had amended the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature Members' Pension Act and increased the pension amount to Rs 75,000 per month from Rs 50,000. Section 3-C of the act, under which former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir were entitled to various privileges and perks, has now been omitted.
With this amendment, the former chief ministers would not be entitled to rent-free furnished accommodation, expenditure to the limit of Rs 35,000 per annum for furnishing of the residential accommodation, free telephone calls up to the value of Rs 48,000 per annum, free electricity to the extent of Rs 1,500 per month, car, petrol, medical facilities, driver and personal assistant.
The provisions were made through a gazette notification, titled the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Adaptation of State Laws) Order-2020.
