Retired babu fined Rs 13 lakh for overstaying in south Mumbai government quarters

MUMBAI: The state public works department, in a first-of-its-kind action, has imposed a penal rent of over Rs 13 lakh on retired bureaucrat K P Bakshi for overstaying in the government quarters at Yashodhan building near Mantralaya in south Mumbai.
An IAS officer of the 1982 batch, Bakshi had retired as additional chief secretary (home) on November 30, 2016.He was then appointed as chairman of the water resources authority for a three-year term.
As per the rules promulgated by the state government last week, if an employee does not vacate the quarters within three months after retirement, transfer or dismissal, the government will disconnect the water, power and piped gas supply and impose a fine of Rs 150/sq ft per month.
According to the notice served on Bakshi on Wednesday, accessed by TOI, he has been asked to pay Rs 2,395 per month for three months and a little over Rs 2.6 lakh per month for five months, which comes to around Rs 13.2 lakh.
Responding to TOI’s message, Bakshi said he was not aware of any penal rent imposed on him. “I was expecting further extension of my tenure as head of the water resources authority,” he said. “I had urged the government to allow me to occupy the quarter for some more time, since my ailing in-laws live with me. I mentioned all these issues in my letter to the chief secretary with a request not to impose any penal rent as the reasons were genuine and that I have no intentions of overstaying.”
Bakshi is not alone, there are more than half a dozen bureaucrats who have not vacated their quarters after retirement or transfer. “We will take stern action against erring officials if they do not vacate the official quarters after their retirement or transfer,” said a senior bureaucrat, adding that there is an acute shortage of quarters for serving IAS and IPS officers.
The bureaucrat said that four retired IAS officers had cited appointment on official commissions or committees as reason for not vacating the government quarters. “But their stay... is illegal; they were allotted the quarters for their position in the government, not for post-retirement assignments. They will have to apply to the government for retention of the quarters,” he said.