The division bench of chief justice SJ Mukhopadhaya and justice Akil Kureshi of Gujarat high court ordered the state government to conduct a survey in Gandhinagar to find out about those illegally occupying government quarters and bungalows.
The division bench ordered secretary of road and building department, Gandhinagar, controller of accommodations, Ahmedabad and collector of Gandhinagar to conduct a joint survey to find out about the illegal occupancy.
The division bench observed that even though a notice was issued earlier in the case, the state had failed to produce proper documentation. The chief justice asked the government pleader, "Why was nothing done after the notice was issued." The chief justice has allowed two months time to the state government to conduct the survey and has asked the authorities to submit their report. The court said that the report should mention all qualified and non-qualified occupants of government accommodations. The high court, based on a news report in 1999, entered a suo-motu petition. The news report stated that family and relatives of top government officials were given such accommodations. The report further said that many government employees resided in such quarters even after their retirement. The court has asked the authorities concerned to file their report by July 12 and has ordered the registry to list the case among the first five cases on board on July 12.
