The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the contempt proceedings against Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal for alleged non-compliance of an Uttarakhand High Court order last year to former chief ministers to pay their rent for government accommodation.
A Bench led by Rohinton F. Nariman passed the stay order on a plea filed by Mr. Pokhriyal.
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The Uttarakhand High Court had on May 3 last year ordered the former chief ministers of the State to pay market rent for the entire period they continued to occupy government accommodation since demitting office. The High Court had declared all government orders from 2001 providing housing and other facilities to former chief ministers as illegal and unconstitutional. It had asked the former chief ministers to pay the rent within six months from the date of intimation.
The High Court had passed the order on a plea by a Dehradun-based NGO. After the last year’s order, the NGO had filed a plea in the High Court alleging non-compliance of the order.
