New Delhi: Central Government has allotted a bungalow in Lutyens to Aam Admi Party (AAP) for office space on a temporary basis for three years. This came after Delhi High Court had set a timeline for Centre to decide the request of AAP.
Advocate Rishikesh Kumar told ANI that a bungalow at Ravi Shankar Shukla Lane has been allotted to AAP on a temporary basis. Our team will see the suitability and other factors. We have time till August 10 to vacate the present office premises at Rouse Avenue.
On July 16, the Delhi HC granted 10 days to Centre to decide the request of AAP for temporary allotment of land for office space. Center had sought four weeks to decide the request of AAP.
Justice Sanjeev Narula refused to grant four weeks. He granted ten days to decide the representation.
Advocate Kirtimaan Singh had appeared for the central government and sought time to decide the representation. The six weeks is coming to an end tomorrow.
Senior advocate Rahul Mehra had appeared for AAP and opposed the request for granting 4 weeks to Centre.
On June 5, the High Court granted six weeks to decide the request for temporary allotment of land for office space.
The High Court had decided a petition of Aam Aadmi Party seeking allotment of a space to use as its party office till the permanent allotment of land for construction its office.
The High Court had said that Aam Aadmi Party is entitled to use a housing unit as its party office till the permanent allotment of land for construction of its office.
Justice Subramonium Prasad had said, ” The dispute regarding allotment of land to the Petitioner cannot be a reason to deprive the Petitioner from its entitlement to be given a housing unit to be used as a temporary office in accordance with the Consolidated Instructions for allotment of Government Accommodation from General Pool to National and State level Political Parties.”
“The fact as to whether the Petitioner would be entitled to a plot of land in Central Delhi or not is subject matter of another Writ Petition,” Justice Prasad said in the judgement passed on June 5.
The bench had said, “This Court can take judicial notice of the fact that there has always been pressure on the Pool of house available for allotment to the officers but that pressure has not deterred allotment of houses to other political parties for office purposes in accordance with the Consolidated Instructions for allotment of Government Accommodation from General Pool to National and State level Political Parties.”
“The fact that there is a huge pressure cannot be the only reason for the Respondents to deny the Petitioner its right to be allotted an accommodation from the GPRA for setting up its party office,” the bench had observed.
The High Court had noted that there is no material on record to show that the said request of the petitioner has been rejected.
The High Court had directed the Central Government to consider the request of the Petitioner within six weeks from today and take a decision by passing a detailed order as to why even one housing unit from the GPRA cannot be allotted to the Petitioner when all other political parties have been allotted similar accommodation from the GPRA.