New Delhi, India: The Directorate of Estates has issued a notice for the eviction of former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha last month. The notice mandates Moitra to vacate the government bungalow, which had been allocated to her as a Member of Parliament.
Sources from the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry reveal that Moitra has been instructed to vacate the premises promptly. Following the issuance of the eviction notice on Tuesday, a team of officials from the Directorate of Estates will be dispatched to ensure the government bungalow is vacated without delay, according to reliable sources.
Moitra, who faced expulsion from the Lok Sabha on December 8 last year, had initially been asked to vacate the residence by January 7 after her allotment was cancelled. Subsequently, on January 8, the Directorate of Estates issued a notice requesting her response within three days regarding her continued occupancy of the government accommodation. Another notice followed on January 12.
On January 4, the Delhi High Court intervened in the matter, advising Moitra to approach the Directorate of Estates with a request to permit her to remain in the allocated government accommodation. Justice Subramoniun Prasad, addressing Moitra’s challenge to the eviction order, acknowledged that exceptional circumstances might allow a resident to overstay for up to six months, subject to certain charges.
The court granted Moitra the ability to withdraw her petition, emphasizing that it hadn’t made any observations on the merits of the case. It directed the Directorate of Estates to independently evaluate her case and make a decision after careful consideration.
Highlighting the legal process, the court emphasized the necessity of issuing a notice to a resident before eviction, asserting that the government must follow due process in the eviction of the petitioner.
Moitra’s expulsion from the Lok Sabha on December 8 stemmed from allegations of “unethical conduct,” including accepting gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani and sharing her user ID and password for the Parliament website with him. As the legal battle unfolds, the issue of her government accommodation continues to be a point of contention.