Rajnath Singh vacates government bungalow in Lucknow, others to follow

Setting a precedent before others, the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh vacated his 4, Kalidas Marg government bungalow in Lucknow, allotted to him as former UP Chief Minister after Supreme Court order.

From a 2.5 acres palatial bungalow at high-security posh Kalidas Marg, Rajnath has now shifted to his private house in 3/206 in Vipul Khand Gomtinagar, constructed over a plot of only 2100 sq feet. The house was recently given a makeover following the Supreme Court order dated May 7 to vacate ex-CMs’ bungalows.

After Union Home minister, the Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh has also directed his staff to vacate his 2, Mall Avenue bungalow allotted to him as former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. The BSP Supremo Mayawati is also likely to vacate her 13, Mall Avenue bungalow to shift to her new house at Cantonment area. The Estate department had served notices on six former Chief Minister on Thursday to vacate government bungalows within 15 days in compliance of the Supreme Court order dated May 7.

Lucknow: Renovation work underway at former UP CM & HM Rajnath Singh's personal residence in Gomti Nagar. He'll vacate his govt residence at 4 Kalidas Marg following SC order annulling amendment in state laws allowing former CMs to occupy govt houses even after demitting office. pic.twitter.com/QFwst2FT0W

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 20, 2018

The Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had met the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with a request to re-allot his 5, Vikramaditya Marg government accommodation, is likely to get a gift of another palatial house in Vipul Khand’s Srijan Vihar by his party Rajya Sabha member and builder Sanajy Seth.

Mulayam has already approved the house, constructed in an area of 11000 sq feet. The ‘kothi’ belonged to R.K. Arora, owner of a pharmaceutical company based in Varanasi. Seth is likely to gift the palatial house to Mulayam.

Company of  Sanjay Seth, which had bagged many government contracts during erstwhile SP regime, is also decking up SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav’s private house in Gomtinagar. Akhilesh will also vacate his 4, Vikramditya Marg government accommodation to shift to his private residence. 

Since there was no one at 1-A Mall Avenue residence of former UP Chief Minister N.D. Tiwari, who is admitted in a Delhi hospital, the Estate department is likely to serve notice to him in Delhi for vacating the house.