Jogi may have to vacate govt bungalow

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh's first chief minister Ajit Jogi may have to vacate Saagon bungalow, the government accommodation in Raipur, in wake of a Supreme Court order that ex-CMs in Uttar Pradesh are not entitled to such facilities.
Ajit Jogi has been residing at Saagon for more than one decade after BJP wrested power from him in December 2013 elections.
Besides former chief minister, Chhattisgarh also has a provision to allot government accommodation to former speakers of state legislative assembly, sources said. Jogi's wife Dr Renu Jogi is a Congress legislator representing Kota assembly seat.
The Apex Court in an order on Monday observed that former chief ministers are not entitled to any government accommodation and such possession should be vacated within two months. The apex court also directed six former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh to vacate government houses allotted to them.
Congress veteran Motilal Vora, a former chief minister during undivided Madhya Pradesh, was earlier allotted a government bungalow at Rajnandgaon in his capacity as ex-CM as he belonged to this state.
Vora, however, surrendered his government accommodation. Former speaker Dharamlal Kaushik, who is president of Chhattisgarh unit of Bharatiya Janata Party, has also been allotted a government bungalow in his capacity as former speaker. Official sources said state government would take an appropriate call on the issue on receipt of Supreme Court order.