PIL to quash GO on flats for officers

CHENNAI: Arguing that all India service officers should not be conferred undue benefits at the cost of tax payers’ money by offering flats at lower prices, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Madras High Court sought quashing of a Government Order of the Housing and Urban Development Department of February last.The HC on Thursday ordered notice, returnable by January 25, on the petition. According to the GO, P Pugalenthi, the petitioner-advocate, said, a scheme called “Own your housing scheme for government officials/employees” was notified. The GO had a clause stating that applicants who had already availed themselves of the benefit of allotment under GDQ (Government Discretionary Quota) from TNHB would not be considered for allotment in the scheme. The order, however, did not contain any stipulation that those who already owned a plot, flat or house would not be eligible to apply under the scheme. In October 2010, the TNHB issued a circular to all India service officers apprising them of the construction of flats at Nerukunram in Chennai under the “Own your housing scheme.” Under the scheme, all India service officers would get the flats at a price lower than the low income group government servants. The flats were offered to all India service officers at 50 per cent less than the market price, the petition said.