Take decision on AAP office space allotment in 6 weeks, High Court asks Centre

Satya Prakash

New Delhi, June 5

Holding that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was entitled to office space in the Capital like other political parties, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to take a decision on the issue in six weeks.

“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 (General Pool Residential Accommodation) for setting up its party office,” Justice Subramonium Prasad said.

The order came on the AAP’s petition seeking a direction to the Union Ministry of Urban Affairs to allot a housing unit on temporary basis to it from the GPRA for office use on payment of licence fee as provided to national parties till an office is constructed by the party on the land to be allotted for permanent use in accordance with the consolidated instructions for allotment of government accommodation from general pool to national and state-level political parties.

Maintaining that it was facing an acute shortage of the GPRA on account of the redevelopment of seven GPRA colonies currently underway and a long waiting list of eligible officers awaiting allotment of these accommodations, the Union Ministry of Urban Affairs said the grant of housing a unit from the general pool to the AAP for office use was “not feasible”.

Noting that there was no material on record to show that the AAP’s request has been rejected, Justice Prasad directed the Land and Development Office (L&DO) to consider it in six weeks and take a decision by passing a detailed order as to why even one housing unit from the GPRA cannot be allotted to the AAP when all other political parties have been allotted similar accommodation from the GPRA.

“Let a detailed order deciding the request of the petitioner be provided to the petitioner so that the petitioner can take other remedial steps available to it under law if the request of the petitioner is not being considered adequately,” the HC ordered.

The Supreme Court had on March 4 directed the AAP to vacate by June 15 its Delhi office here at Bungalow No. 206, Rouse Avenue, built on the land allotted to the Delhi High Court for expansion of judicial infrastructure in the Capital. It had asked the AAP to apply to the L&DO for allotment of alternative land in accordance with law.