J&K High Court has ordered clubbing of all the petitions containing subject matter ‘illegal and unauthorized occupation of ministerial bungalows, A-type Kothies and other government accommodations’ in J&K.
A division bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Rajesh Bindal passed the orders after hearing Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed who submitted that on July 8 this year, the Estates Department was directed to file the status report within four weeks.
The counsel submitted that the Estates Department has been taking the directions of the Division Bench casually as it did not file the status report. He argued that the orders of the court have not been complied with so far and requested the court to order personal appearance of the Administrative Secretary of Estates Department.
At this stage, AAG Aseem Sawhney, representing Estates Department, submitted that he has filed the status report dated October 2 and the same was not found on record.
He also informed the Division Bench that similar matters covering the issue of ‘unauthorized occupation’ of government accommodation is the subject matter of PIL No.24/2020 and OWP No.1750/2015.
After considering the submissions of both the sides, the Division Bench directed the Estates Department to ensure the compliance by filing the status report in terms of order dated July 8 and also directed that the instant PIL be consolidated and clubbed with PIL No.24/2020 and OWP No.1750/2015 so that the same are heard together.
Looking into the public interest involved, the Division Bench directed the Registry to list all these petitions together on December 5 for hearing.