Mahua Moitra of Trinamool directed to vacate government bungalow immediately

PTC News Desk: In a recent development, the Directorate of Estates has issued a notice for the immediate eviction of former Trinamool Congress (TMC) Member of Parliament (MP) Mahua Moitra from her government bungalow. Ms. Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha on December 8 last year, has been directed to vacate the residence, which was initially allocated to her as an MP, according to sources within the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.

The eviction notice was reportedly issued on Tuesday, prompting the Directorate of Estates to dispatch a team of officials to ensure the swift vacation of the government bungalow. This move follows a prior notice given to Ms. Moitra on January 8, requesting her response within three days as to why she had not complied with the initial eviction order issued on January 4. The TMC leader had been asked to vacate the premises by January 7 after her allotment was canceled.

In response to the eviction proceedings, the Delhi High Court, on January 4, directed Mahua Moitra to approach the Directorate of Estates with a request to continue occupying the government accommodation allotted to her. Justice Subramoniun Prasad, while addressing Ms. Moitra's challenge to the official intimation requiring her to vacate the bungalow by January 7, acknowledged that rules permitted authorities to allow a resident to overstay for up to six months under certain conditions, subject to the payment of specific charges in exceptional circumstances.

The court allowed Ms. Moitra to withdraw her petition, emphasising that it had not made any observations on the merits of the case. It urged the Directorate of Estates to independently assess her situation and make a decision based on their evaluation. Highlighting the legal process, the court emphasized that issuing a notice to a resident before eviction is mandatory, and the government must adhere to proper legal procedures in the eviction process.

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Mahua Moitra had been found guilty of "unethical conduct" and expelled from the Lok Sabha on December 8, 2023, for allegedly accepting gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani and sharing her user ID and password of the Parliament website with him. The ongoing developments regarding her eviction from the government bungalow add another layer to the controversy surrounding her parliamentary expulsion.

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(Inputs from agencies)