RS passes bill to evict MPs living in govt houses illegally

New Delhi: Seeking to swiftly evict illegal occupants from government accommodation, the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2019.

The bill which amends the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, was moved by Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. It has already been passed by the Lok Sabha.

Replying to the discussion on the bill, the Minister said that the amendment being brought is very limited one and relates to public premise for residential accommodation. It applies to members of Parliament, government officers and employees.

The bill has proposed to insert a new sub-section (3A) in section 7 of the Act requiring that if the person challenges the eviction order passed by the estate officer in any court, he has to pay the damages for every month for the residential accommodation held by him.

The existing law has lengthy eviction process involving a show-cause notice and appeal provisions. As a result, it takes years at times to evict the unauthorised occupant.

The bill has proposed to apply summary eviction procedure to residential accommodation given on licence basis with a short show-cause notice of three days to the unauthorised occupants.

On suggestion by a member that the three days' notice was too short, the Minister said that the summary provision was introduced in 1994 by the then government without even a three day period.

"We are now introducing the three day period in order to provide for natural justice so that a show-cause notice is issued," he said.

Members from across the parties supported the bill and it was passed by a voice vote.