Mehbooba Mufti vacates Srinagar govt residence
: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday vacated her official residence in Srinagar and shifted to a private accommodation, in the outskirts of the city, people familiar with the matter said.
The Fairview residence on Gupkar Road, overlooking Srinagar’s Dal Lake, was allotted to Mehbooba’s father, former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, in 2005. Mehbooba was served two notices, on October 15 and 25, by the administration to vacate the premises.
The People Democratic Party (PDP) chief vacated the premises and shifted to a private accommodation in Khimber on Monday, the people cited above said.
“Yes, she (Mehbooba) confirmed moving out from the government house,” additional PDP spokesperson Rafeeq Rather said. On Saturday, Mehbooba was served a notice to vacate another government accommodation, at Housing Colony in Anantnag’s Khanabal, within 24 hours. This accommodation is used by her during her visits to south Kashmir. Mehbooba is yet to comply with this directive.
Last month, deputy director of the estates department said the government is ready to provide “alternative accommodation” on “security grounds” to the PDP leader, if needed, once she vacated the Fairview residence,
PDP chief spokesperson Suhail Bukhari, however, alleged Mufti was offered a dilapidated place in Srinagar’s Tulsi Bagh which she found unsuitable.
“So she has decided to move to a private place,” he said.
The Fairview residence was previously an interrogation centre called PAPA-II and served as an official guest house till 1989. The BSF occupied it in 1990.