Srinagar
Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has vacated her Jammu residence even as government rules provide a month to constitutional authorities and legislators to retain the accommodation after demitting office.

Apart from Mehbooba, no other former ministers, constitutional authorities, legislators or chairpersons of various boards have shown any intent to vacate their government accommodation anytime soon.

“There is a one-month deadline to vacate the accommodation, so we can’t ask them to vacate on the fourth day of the Governor rule,” said an official in Estates Department. Almost all former ministers of the erstwhile PDP-BJP government are living in government bungalows in posh localities in Srinagar and Jammu.

The Governor NN Vohra-led State Administrative Council, on March 31, 2016, notified permissible period for the retention of government accommodation for constitutional dignitaries as one month in case of expiry of the term or termination of appointment. However, if the government accommodation is not vacated, the constitutional dignitaries have to pay the rent as per the commercial rate. “In case of any reason, including the procedural delays, if the government accommodation is not vacated within the permissible period, the commercial rate in vogue shall be charged that shall be worked out by the Public Works Department on the case-to-case basis,” it said.