U'khand gov promulgates ordinance, exempts ex-CMs from paying market rate rent for govt bungalows

U'khand governor has promulgated an ordinance on Thursday exempting ex-CMs from paying market-rate rent for govt bungalows they had been allotted. Later on May 3, the court had also set a six-month deadline for them to pay rent at the market rate for the bungalows for the period they had occupied them.

Dehradun: In a major relief to all former Uttarakhand chief ministers, state Governor Baby Rani Maurya has promulgated an ordinance exempting them from paying rent at the market rate for the government bungalows they had been allotted as ex-CMs.

The ordinance, promulgated on Thursday, came to the rescue of five former chief ministers - Bhagat Singh Koshyari, late ND Tiwari, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri and Vijay Bahuguna -- who were obliged to pay a total of Rs 13 crore to the government as per a Uttrakhand High Court order.

The high court had earlier declared the allotment of government bungalows to the former chief ministers as "illegal" and had asked them to vacate the same.

Later on May 3, the court had also set a six-month deadline for them to pay rent at the market rate for the bungalows for the period they had occupied them.