A former Shimla Senior Superintendent of Police has been charged penal rent of more than Rs 1.8 lakh for continuing to stay in official accommodation for months after being promoted, officials said on Saturday. Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi, now Deputy Inspector General (Traffic, Tourism and Railways), had been asked to vacate the residence in May.
The amount imposed includes more than Rs 1.28 lakh for March and April and nearly Rs 51,000 for May, officials said. The Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police has also said the amount will be deducted from Gandhi’s salary every month until he vacates the accommodation.
According to officials, DGP Ashok Tiwari sent a notice to Gandhi for not vacating the official accommodation after relinquishing charge as SSP, Shimla, and said his continued stay was being treated as unauthorised. The DGP said Rule 10(2) of the Himachal Pradesh Allotment Government Residence (General Pool) Rules, 1994, requires an officer occupying an earmarked residence on transfer to vacate it within one month of handing over charge.
The DGP added that under Rule 18A, penal rent is charged at Rs 18 per square foot per month. He said Gandhi had been asked to vacate the accommodation in May, but he continued to live there.
Gandhi, however, reportedly told a section of media persons that he had not received any notice and was not sure how it had been circulated in media circles. He also said he had not vacated his previous residence because no new accommodation had been allotted to him.
The case concerns Gandhi’s continued stay in the official residence after his promotion and transfer, with the police department citing housing rules, imposing penal rent of over Rs 1.8 lakh and ordering monthly deductions from his salary until he vacates the accommodation.
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