The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill that provides for smooth and speedy eviction of unauthorised occupants from government residences with Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri saying that the legislation contains "long overdue set of amendments" and the powers will be used in a humane manner.
The Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2019 was passed by a voice vote and amends the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971.
The minister said the Act pertains to all public premises but the bill pertains to government accommodation.
He said there was a shortage of government accommodation.
Moving the bill for passage, Puri said 3081 premises had not been vacated and the bill will result in increased availability of residential accommodations for eligible persons.
"It is good time (to pass the bill) as several MPs were waiting to get residential accommodation," he said.
The proposed amendments would enable the estate officer to apply summary proceedings for evicting unauthorised occupants from residential accommodations and to levy damage charges for accommodation held during the period of litigation.
Participating in the debate, Trinamool Congress member Kalyan Banerjee said some provisions of the bill were "draconian" as the Estate Officer has been given "capricious powers".
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury recalled his own experience about dealing with officials dealing with official accommodation, saying his image was wrongly sought to be tarnished as if he was keen on "commodious bungalow".
BJD member Pinaki Misra said that the bill does not go far enough and suggested that there should be a bar on civil court jurisdiction of those given official accommodation.
He said there was a need for a draconian law as "people in public life should set an example and if they don't should pay dearly".
( With inputs from ANI )