Overstaying in government quarters in Mumbai? Maharashtra to cut power, water, gas supply

MUMBAI: Alarmed by the refusal of transferred, retired and dismissed officials to vacate government quarters in the city, the state government on Thursday promulgated stringent rules to provide for disconnection of water, power and piped gas supply of the premises.
According to an order issued by undersecretary Anuradha Khanvilkar, if a government employee does not vacate the quarters within three months after retirement, transfer or dismissal, the state will disconnect the water, power and piped gas supply and impose a fine of Rs 150/sq ft per month.
According to a senior bureaucrat, the new rules are based on the house allotment norms prescribed by the Centre in 2017. “The CM has made it clear that hereafter, there will be no out-of-turn allotment for any officer, IAS or IPS,” he added.
The bureaucrat said that several IAS and IPS officers have secured quarters in prime government properties, including Yashodhan in Nariman Point, Belle Haven near Bombay Hospital in Marine Lines, and Amber–Avanti at Malabar Hill though they were ineligible. “Surprisingly, while signing the files, the erstwhile CMs did not check if the IAS or IPS official concerned was eligible for a government quarter in Yashodhan, Belle Haven, or Amber–Avanti.