Chandigarh administration fails to get house occupied by Beant Singh’s kin vacated

Chandigarh, June 12

For two years, the UT Administration has failed to take possession of the government house allotted to former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress leader Beant Singh in Sector 5. After the assassination of the former Chief Minister in a terror attack in 1995, his wife was allowed to hold the possession of the house.

Grandson cites security reasons

Gurkirat Singh Kotli, grandson of former Punjab CM who was assassinated in a terror attack, said an alternative house allotted to them under Punjab pool in Sector 39 was not suitable from the security point of view. Kotli said he was not aware of any latest development.

After her death in 2010, the Administration issued an order to vacate the house in January last year.

The Administration had on February 8 last year made an unsuccessful attempt to get the house vacated that is currently occupied by his son Tej Parkash Singh.

Following the orders of the Sub-divisional Magistrate (Central) issued on January 23, 2023, a team of the enforcement wing of the Estate Office went to get the house vacated on February 8, but had to return empty-handed as the security personnel posted at the house did not allow them to enter the premises.

Since the last attempt, no further action has been initiated to get the house vacated, said an official.

In 2022, the SDM (Central) had issued eviction orders under Section 5 of the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, against the house, but the occupants did not abide by the orders within the stipulated time.

As the occupants did not obey the orders, a team of the enforcement wing was sent to execute the orders.

Tej Parkash’s son Gurkirat Singh Kotli said an alternative house allotted to them under Punjab pool in Sector 39 was not suitable from the security point of view. Kotli said he was not aware of the latest development.

Former CM Beant Singh’s family members have been associated with the Congress for decades. His grandson and three-time MP Ravneet Singh Bittu switched sides to join the BJP just ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election and lost to Amrinder Singh Raja Warring of the Congress from Ludhiana seat.

He has now been inducted into the Union Council of Ministers and appointed the Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing.