HC Questions opaque system of Govt house allotment in Himachal
HC Questions opaque system of Govt house allotment in Himachal
Shimla, June 25,
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has strongly questioned the existing system of allotment of government residences in the state, observing that obtaining an official house has become akin to winning a lottery due to the opaque mechanism currently in place.
Hearing a petition filed by Amit Kumar Thakur, an employee of the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC), Justice Ajay Mohan Goel expressed concern over the lack of dedicated accommodation for employees of independent institutions such as the HPPSC.
The state government informed the court that HPPSC does not have a separate pool of residential quarters and that its employees are considered for allotment under the Himachal Pradesh Allotment of Government Residences (General Pool) Rules, 1994, along with other eligible government servants. It also cited an acute shortage of government accommodation, stating that residences cannot be claimed as a matter of right and are allotted by the House Allotment Committee as per prescribed criteria.
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However, the court remarked that these submissions merely reiterated facts already known and did not address its earlier concerns. It observed that the monopoly of the General Administration Department (GAD) and the lack of transparency in the process had created a situation where allotment of government houses was regarded as nothing less than a lottery.
The court suggested that the existing practice of requiring employees to apply afresh every year for accommodation should be discontinued. Instead, it proposed maintaining a single, permanent waiting list in which seniority is determined by the date of application, with successful allottees being removed and new applicants added over time.
Justice Goel further observed that independent bodies, including the HPPSC, should be provided at least some dedicated residential accommodation so that such institutions have a degree of discretion in housing their employees according to need.
The Additional Advocate General assured the court that its concerns would be conveyed to the competent authority. The matter has now been listed for further hearing on July 20, with the court expecting a more considered response from the government in light of its observations.
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