No life-long bungalows to former Chief Ministers, says Rajasthan HC

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On Wednesday, the Rajasthan High Court in its ruling stated that former chief ministers of Rajasthan cannot avail life-long facilities like government bungalow, telephone, and car. While announcing its ruling the HC also called the Rajasthan Ministers' Salaries (Amendment) Act 2017 as "illegal".

While announcing the verdict, the division bench of state Chief Justice S. Ravindra Bhatt and Justice Prakash Gupta also observed that Rajasthan is an economically backward state and such life-long facilities for the former CMSs was a misuse of public funds.

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The Rajasthan HC ruling came after senior journalist Milapchand Dandiya filed a plea challenging the law that gave life-long facilities to the former CMs. According to the plea, the former Chief Ministers of Rajasthan are given lifelong facilities such as government bungalow, car, driver, telephone services and a staff of 10.

The Senior Journalist plea questioned the Rajasthan law referring to a Supreme Court order that quashed a similar Uttar Pradesh legislation, which granted permanent accommodation to the state's former chief ministers, reports news agency IANS.

The Rajasthan law was enacted by the former CM Vasundhara Raje government through an amendment in the Rajasthan Ministers' Salaries Act, 1956. The new law made state chief ministers eligible for a government accommodation either in Jaipur or in any district headquarter after they successfully completed their five-year tenure.

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At present, former chief ministers Vasundhara Raje and Jagannath Pahadiya are among the former CMs of Rajasthan who are taking benefits under the law.

With inputs from IANS

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