Kejriwal housing matter: Delhi HC seeks policy details, directs officials to remain present

New Delhi [India], September 18 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Thursday reiterated that allotment of government accommodation cannot rest on the "whims" of the authorities and must be guided by a transparent policy.
The observations came during the hearing of a plea filed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) seeking a bungalow in the capital for its national convenor and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Justice Sachin Datta directed the Joint Secretary of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Director of the Directorate of Estates to be present virtually before the court on September 25.
Justice Datta said he wanted to know how the allotment system works and how priority is decided when there are limited houses. The judge asked, "Is there a proper procedure? How has it been followed in the past? There has to be a fair system."
The judge said he wished to examine the procedure followed in allotment and whether priority and sequence were applied fairly.
The court stated that the matter raised a "larger issue" of discretion in housing allotments, observing, "As long as there is a clear discernible policy, I want to know the manner of assessing priority. I am concerned with how the discretion is applied in the Delhi HC, which questions the government on the bungalow allotment policy."
During the proceedings, the Centre's counsel informed the court that the Type VII bungalow at 35 Lodhi Estate--proposed by AAP to be allotted to Kejriwal--was formally allotted to Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary on July 24 this year. The disclosure came in compliance with the court's earlier direction to specify the exact date of allotment.
Taking note of the submission, the High Court directed the Centre to place the current policy on record through an affidavit. The affidavit must also disclose previous allotments and explain how the policy was applied in each case.
The matter will now be taken up on September 25, when the senior officials are expected to remain present to answer the queries of the court on the housing policy framework. (ANI)