Reconsider house allotment issue of food commission chief: HC tells UT

CHANDIGARH: Quashing the order asking former IAS officer and Punjab State Food Commission chairperson DP Reddy to vacate his government-alloted accommodation, the Punjab and Haryana high court asked the UT administration to re-consider the matter.

Reddy had moved the high court (HC) in 2019, challenging the UT administration’s notice asking him to handover the Sector-16 accommodation that was allotted to him while he was serving as an IAS officer with the Punjab government.

Reddy had taken premature retirement the same day he was appointed Punjab State Food Commission chairperson in 2018. In 2019, he had made a representation before the UT administration requesting that he be allowed to retain the house. The request was declined , following which he had sought judicial intervention.

Now, the HC has quashed the order, in which he was given a week’s time to vacate the premises, and the house allotment committee has been asked to re-examine the issue within 15 days and make an allotment as per his entitlement.

Reddy had argued that being a chairperson, he is entitled to a higher category house against what he was occupying. He also questioned why he was being asked to first vacate the house and then seek allotment as it would result in undue hardship.

The administration had told the court that Reddy was no longer entitled to any government accommodation and is only entitled to house-rent allowance.