Guv cold to Bhattal’s plea for sarkari kothi
Saturday, 01/12/2012
http://punjabnewsline.com/news/Guv-cold-to-Bhattal___s-plea-for-sarkari-kothi.html
CHANDIGARH: The governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh Union Territory, Shivraj Patil, is understood to have cold shouldered a plea by the senior Punjab Congress leader and former Chief Minister, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, to allot her an alternative government accommodation in the city because of the insistence by the Badal government on her vacating the ministerial bungalow allotted to her when she was leader of the Opposition.
Bhattal called on the governor ostensibly to discuss a land case relating to her constituency but took the opportunity to press her case. She reportedly claimed that as Chief Minister, she had also fought against terrorism and as such, faced a continuous threat to security. Since Patil had remained a Home Minister at the Centre, he was personally aware of the threat perception to her.
She reportedly said that she was willing to swap the ministerial bungalow allotted to Sunil Jakhar as leader of the Opposition with the kothi allotted to him in Sector 16. The governor reportedly promised to look into the matter once the case in the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging her occupation of the ministerial bungalow was disposed of.
In the meantime, the Badal government has served a legal notice on Bhattal to vacate the ministerial bungalow. It has also slapped her with another notice for recovery of Rs 68 lakh as rental dues. Bhattal ceased to be leader of the Opposition in March. Under the rules, an allotee has to vacate the government accommodation within 15 days, failing which he is charged double the normal rent. If this also does not move the allotee, market is charged which 160 times of the normal rent.
